Infinitas
by FireKali Chaos
Summary: WIP. JackDaniel. Their lives continue to be, in the universe's way, without end. Their paths may diverge, but they'll always cross once more somewhere down the road - if Jack has anything to say about it. -Post season 10, pre "Ark of Truth"
1. Part I

_Disclaimer:_ Kali & muses do not own any of Stargate; we just borrowed it for the sake of this fiction.  
_Warnings:_ The usual types of Stargate-type action, craziness, and fun; slash in the form of Jack/Daniel.  
If you don't like it or are too young, don't read it!  
_Author Notes:_ Takes place post-season 10, pre-Ark of Truth; also, beware of mega-spoilage!

**_INFINITAS_**

By **FireKali Chaos  
**_Big thanks to Sets for the beta!_**  
**

**~ Part I ~**

**Chapter I  
**  
{Daniel}  
_Early Saturday Morning:_

All he wanted to do was to crawl into his bed and sleep for at least a decade.

The week had been…trying. A perfect euphemism for the ever-increasing chaos, trials, and tribulations that was life at the SGC. Seven – no, eight (he groaned as he noted the date and time at the bottom right corner of his computer screen) – days ago, SG1 and General Landry had returned from their close brush with the Ori ship after being gifted the total repertoire of technology and knowledge of the Asgard, and sudden absolute destruction of the Asgard race. No one but Teal'c knew exactly what had happened during the time-dilation period he reported occurred – but apparently that had been the only thing to save them and the ship that now carried the legacy of the Asgard. Once they'd returned home, SG1 returned to its usual mission schedule, though this now included revisiting some planets to determine if they had fallen to the Priors and their crusading armies, and to warn new allies on new planets about the danger that now threatened everyone in the galaxy from human to Goa'uld to Jaffa to Tok'ra – and everyone in between.

The grand total of Ori planets was rapidly nearing the 100 mark. Another seventeen had been counted this past week by the various SG teams who had ventured off-world.

And if this were not enough, they still didn't know if Merlin's weapon worked or failed, didn't know if the Ori themselves were destroyed when Daniel and SG1 hijacked an Ori ship to send the weapon to the Ori galaxy. To do so, they'd had to shut down the Supergate, thus leaving it available for use once more by the crusading Priors and their precious Orisei – who was now Ascended herself, thanks to them. Or perhaps she was an Ori rather than the Ascended he knew. He really didn't know what would have happened to Adria when she went glowy, though if he wanted a silver lining, he hoped the Ancients and the rest of the Others would have better luck convincing her she'd been deceived and was following the wrong path, hoped they would be successful where he and Vala had failed miserably.

…Because the alternative was a powerful Ascended (Ori?) being with all their knowledge, out there somewhere in the galaxy, who was _not_ bound by the rules of the Others. And with no way of making another of Merlin's weapons (which he didn't want to use _here_ anyway as it would result in the destruction of the Others as well as Adria – if it did work) they had no way to combat her, no allies to rely on. As it was, he could only hope that the Others _would_ enforce their rules if she did try anything here.

It was nearing 0400, and Daniel had only just returned from a trip to P4X-639. SG1 had gone to check up on Harry Maybourne and his adopted home, and to warn him about the Ori's creepy minions and zealous armies. They'd gotten lucky this time – Harry and his people had been blissfully ignorant thus far – but there were so many planets that the Tau'ri were having little luck contacting. They _still_ hadn't heard from the Serrakins or the Langarans (meaning Jonas Quinn), though intel said both planets had been visited by the Priors and Ori ships were seen in the area. And with the Jaffa scattered and warring amongst themselves, and the Tok'ra no longer even _pretending_ to live up to a treaty that had always been tenuous at best, Earth was back to being relatively isolated and friendless even if they were the Fifth Race the Asgard had such high hopes for. The sword had firmly, suddenly, been passed to them, effectively making the Tau'ri the protectors of the galaxy.

Taking his glasses off to rub at his reddened, dry, and scratchy tired eyes, Daniel gave up working on a translation for SG23. He wanted to get it done, but he was so tired he just couldn't concentrate enough to remember his name let alone conjugate verbs in obscure dialects of Goa'uld. Saving his work, he put his glasses back on and shut down his computer before closing up his lab/office and making his weary way to the elevator. He wasn't going home…because he no longer had one, really. Instead, he was heading further underground to Level 25 where his on-base quarters were.

He'd sold his house after the Osiris-dream incident, finding that not only did his neighbours wonder and speculate (and distrust) him thanks to that event, he couldn't live in the house without feeling exposed, uncomfortable, and violated. Besides, he wasn't home long enough to enjoy it, and owning a house came with all those extra responsibilities he didn't have time for (ie. mowing the lawn in summer, shovelling sidewalks in winter, gardening, house cleaning, etc.). He honestly didn't know how Jack or Sam ever managed to do all that with their own houses.

Daniel used the money from the sale of his house to add to Cassie's university fund. He didn't need the money anymore (the government paid him ridiculously well), and he knew Janet Fraiser would want her adopted daughter to go as far as she could in her education, in whatever field Cassie chose. He'd moved himself into a small, decent apartment in a respectable neighbourhood after that, though he was rarely there. Then…the final showdown with the Replicators – and Anubis on the peripheral edges – went down. Daniel waged his mental battle with RepliCarter, though he didn't really feel like he'd won anything with that. He'd Ascended for the second time, finally gotten some answers out of Oma Desala that weren't riddles or Zen-like pieces of advice, and witnessed the subsequent "defeat" of Anubis when she engaged him in what he knew would likely be an eternal fight, thus removing his threat to the galaxy.

Somewhere in there, Atlantis was found and Elizabeth Weir took her team through the Gate to the Pegasus Galaxy – and were essentially lost for a while when no ZPMs were immediately discovered and they had no way of powering the Gate to dial home. But, when Catherine passed away (mere months after Ernst Littlefield) and left Daniel the bulk of her estate (all the texts, scrolls, tablets, artefacts, and library, anyway), and the oddity of a video camera with a ZPM that still held a full charge was discovered among it all, the Pegasus Galaxy was no longer so far away. Once communications were re-established, and with the newest Earth ship to roll of the factory lines – the _Daedalus_ – now available and capable of reaching Atlantis thanks to Asgard hyperdrive technology, it seemed a new era for the SGC was at hand.

Then the news came down that General Hammond was planning to retire from his post in Washington DC as head of Homeworld Security – and that he wanted Jack to replace him. Jack had grumbled about it, not really liking the idea of having to dive into the muddy political waters of DC and fly a desk away from the frontlines (after all, the Goa'uld were still out there, if less of a threat than before). So he'd given SG1 two weeks leave, and they spent the first week of that together at the General's cabin in Minnesota – fishing. Memories of that final team outing were both sad and bittersweet as well as happy for Daniel. Happy because he'd been with the people he loved most, the people who were family to him. Happy because they'd had a lot of fun that week, had laughed and relaxed as they hadn't since…well, ever, if he really thought about it. Happy because for once they didn't have to run off to save the world or the galaxy from some great evil or alien threat, and they could just be normal people for a little while where their only great concern was whether or not they should BBQ or roast hot dogs, or how much money they wanted to lose to Teal'c in a poker game.

The bittersweet and sad parts came at the end of the week – when the happiness Daniel thought he'd _finally_ get to begin to enjoy was doused by the scattering of his family. He still – to this day – didn't know exactly what happened between Jack (his best friend and the man his foolish heart had gone and fallen in love with) and Sam (his self-proclaimed Big Sister whom he loved as such but sometimes really wanted to hate), but suddenly there was tension and stormy clouds hovering over the cabin, and the vibes flowing between the two were enough to light up glaring neon signs proclaiming troubled waters. At supper that fateful evening, Jack quietly announced his intention to accept Hammond's post. Almost angrily, Sam then declared she was going to accept a post as the new head of Research and Development at Area 51 – ostensibly to be close to Cassie, who needed her more than ever now that Janet was gone and she was venturing out into the world for university. Stunned, Daniel hadn't been able to say anything, not even to protest. Teal'c remained his stoic Jaffa self, and hadn't said anything either. He merely gave an accepting head-bow and wished them both success before excusing himself for the night.

Sam had packed up and left early the next morning. By the time Daniel (and Teal'c) returned to the Springs, she was gone. Jack didn't waste much time getting the hell out of Dodge, either. He was gone before their second week of leave ended. And Daniel had never had the chance to talk to him.

With SG1 splitting up, Teal'c was convinced by Bra'tac to return to Dakara and devote his time to helping set up the leadership and structure of the new Jaffa Free Nation. With no one left, Daniel found himself utterly alone and at loose-ends. The only thing left for him at that point, the only way he could still be useful to the programme – the place had people he'd given the last 8 plus years of his life for (several times!) – was to hop a ride on _Daedalus_ and go to Atlantis. Otherwise…he was obsolete…or at least that's what it felt like.

So…he started packing his bags. His apartment was cleared out and his belongings were placed in storage. He'd been 48 hours away from his flight, in his lab packing it all up, when Lt. Col. Cam Mitchell strolled in and tried to convince him to stay. He offered Cam his apartment and turned him down as gently as he could. Cam hadn't wanted the apartment – he'd already found himself one – so Daniel simply turned in his keys and let the place go.

But it seemed he was the universe's favourite puppy to kick, because the next thing he knew, that deceitful, feisty wench, Vala MalDoran, waltzed back into his life and once again screwed up his travel plans. He woke up in the infirmary 'bonded' to the woman and stranded on Earth. _Daedalus_ had left without him.

He'd never bothered to go out and get another place. By this time he gave up trying to find something he'd never truly had – home. Not even Abydos (through beloved and much cherished for the brief year of happiness he'd had there with Sha're, Ska'ara, Kasuf and the rest of the Abydonian people) had been home. And really, he'd rationalized, why bother when he was barely Earth-side long enough to be able to leave the base for some reason that _wasn't_ work-related?

Now he lived on-base, though his quarters were moved from the civilian housing on Level 15 down to the senior housing on Level 25. He didn't really understand why (he was a civilian and certainly not a ranking military officer) but didn't argue with General Landry about it. He'd welcomed the move silently, in fact, once Vala became a permanent fixture at the SGC. As much as he liked her (and he couldn't help but like her, despite her larcenous, deceitful predilections, because she was almost like a female Jack – minus the years of military discipline and military rules and regulations to moderate his often twelve-year-old mentality, and the home-life and up-bringing Jack grew up with), she was often a little too much, and clever enough that it took everything Daniel had to stay ahead of her. Despite their rocky start, he did come to accept her foibles and count her as a friend – a good one. And she became a steadfast ally, too, when the Ori became the greatest threat to the galaxy…

For which all blame was laid at Daniel's feet, and no one would be able to convince him otherwise. He should have realized that the Peaceful Explorer bit wasn't going to work, and he should have kept his mouth shut. But…it wasn't in him to not try to talk his way out of trouble. Being responsible for the Priors finding their way to his galaxy, and everything that came after, was something that Daniel would never forgive himself for, and was something he would spend the remainder of his life trying to rectify.

"Good morning, Dr. Jackson!" A Sergeant Daniel didn't recognize greeted him as he stepped off the elevator.

"Good morning, Sergeant." He returned, stifling a yawn. He nearly collided with Vala as he turned a corner. "Whoa! Geez, Vala."

"Daniel! There you are. Where _have_ you been? I've been looking all over for you." She planted her hands on her hips, blocking his path as she scowled at him.

"Office. Translation." He didn't try to stifle the yawn this time. "Now bed."

Frowning she took in his appearance. "You mean you _still_ haven't gone to bed? Look at you! You're nearly the walking dead!"

Wincing, he held up a hand then gently set her aside so he could pass by. "Please. Don't even joke. They're not very much fun." Memories of Honduras flashed and he shoved them back down quickly. Of course, Vala had no idea what he was talking about, so she merely shrugged with a confused expression and followed him to his door.

"Don't forget the briefing at 1100." She reminded him. "We'll find out where we're going next, after all."

"Yeah, yeah." Daniel waved her off. "Why are you still up? I thought you said something about beauty sleep."

"I had a nap. I'm wide awake now. I promised Mitchell that I'd remind you that you're scheduled for a weapons skill evaluation." Vala leaned against the door frame, standing inside his door and watching with unconcealed interest as Daniel stripped off his uniform BDUs until he was just in boxers and a t-shirt. Once upon a time, he'd have been modest and chased her off, but he'd long since given up, the futility of it and the fact that he was much more comfortable in his body than he'd ever been before lending to his lack of caring. "He wants to get it done before our next mission."

"Fine. Whatever. But now I'm sleeping, so…" Daniel pointedly put his glasses on the bedside table and shut off the lamp, crawling under the covers of his bed. "Go 'way, Vala."

She rolled her eyes and gave a mock-huff. "Well. I know when I'm not wanted." Grinning, she left. Once the door closed behind her, Daniel let out a relieved sigh (because at least this time she didn't try to join him in bed) and relaxed, letting sleep claim him for even the bare few hours he'd get.

* * *

_Early Thursday Afternoon:_

Three days later, SG1 tromped down the ramp from the Gate upon their return from a new planet they'd been sent to check out. At least this one had been uninhabited, and they'd all come home healthy, alive, and in one piece. As they handed off their weapons to the SFs, Chief Master Sergeant Walter Harriman called down from the control room, "Dr. Jackson, you have an urgent message waiting for you."

He glanced up in surprise, nodding. "Thanks, Walter. I'll be there after the post-mission stuff.'

"Yes, sir."

Sam grinned at Daniel's exasperated sigh. "You'll never convince him to call you just 'Daniel,' you know." She nudged him in the ribs with an elbow. "Give it up, Daniel."

"I believe he refuses because he has great respect for you, DanielJackson." Teal'c stated mildly. "As is appropriate and richly deserved."

"Maybe. I stopped fighting the 'Dr. Jackson' but 'sir?'" he shook his head. "I am _not_ an officer. I never made any of my students call me 'sir', so why should anyone around here?"

"Well, we military folk tend to react to everyone high on the chain of command the same – civilian or military." Mitchell clapped him on the shoulder and directed the group toward the elevator to head for the infirmary. "And fact is, you _are_ the most senior personnel on base. The only thing you're missing is the commission and rank, and everyone at this command knows that, unofficially, you're on par with General Landry, if not above him in the chain of command."

Daniel blinked a few times, absorbing that. "It's ridiculous! I'm not in command of anything and I don't really want to be."

Vala leaned in to Teal'c and said in a low voice, "I didn't know my Daniel was such a big shot among the Tau'ri. But why doesn't _he_ know that?"

Apophis' ex-First Prime actually quirked a small smile, watching as his other teammates were led off by infirmary staff for their post-mission exams. "Have you not also noticed DanielJackson's knowledge of self-worth, ValaMalDoran? For as long as I have known him, he has never understood his value to not only this programme but to his peers here and even to us, who are his closest friends. I have never known anyone to be as unselfish and giving of themselves as DanielJackson."

The dark-haired woman frowned. "He certainly is one-of-a-kind, Muscles. But I know what the galaxy is like, and I don't know how he's survived this long. Because I've seen people like him eaten alive by the bad guys out there."

"As have I." Teal'c agreed. "However…I believe DanielJackson to be a soul with a higher purpose and thus some measure of protection, whatever that purpose may be. I have witnessed too many miracles in my time with this Tau'ri, to believe otherwise."

Vala nodded. "I get that. He certainly changed things for me." She beamed at him. "And you all wonder why I want to have ridiculous amounts of wild and crazy monkey sex with the man!"

Teal'c, had he not been the mighty, stoic Jaffa he was, might have either laughed or rolled his eyes at the boisterous female's remark. He was becoming quite accustomed to her ways, however, and merely tilted his head with a slightly raised eyebrow and drawled, "Indeed, I do not."

Mitchell and Daniel reappeared first, and the remaining two members of the team took their places.

"I'd better go see what that message is all about." Daniel waved over his shoulder. "See you at the debriefing, Mitchell."

"Sure thing, Jackson."

As he walked back to the elevator, Daniel smiled ruefully to himself. Only Cam Mitchell could get away with calling him by his last name alone. Anyone else tended to get a displeased frown – just as Jack was the only one who ever got away with calling him 'Danny' (among all the other various nicknames he'd pinned on Daniel over the years). The smile faded, and he absently rubbed the heal of his hand against his chest, as if that would soothe the ache that always hit him there when he thought of Jack and their barely-there friendship. Daniel actually missed those names – whether they'd been said in anger, concern, or to tease, they'd always been said with affection.

Climbing the stairs up to the control room, Daniel shoved aside his memories to focus on the present.

"So, Chief, what's the message?" He inquired, approaching Walter.

"Ah, an email from Dr. Gardner, sir, was passed along through channels. We received it early this morning." Walter pulled a page from a clipboard at his elbow and handed it to Daniel.

"From Sarah? Huh. Okay, thanks, Walter." Daniel took the paper and began to read the short email. For security reasons, he hadn't been allowed to give Sarah his email address once she'd been released after her de-Goa'uld-ing. Daniel had thought it was a stupid precaution (like she didn't already know far worse things that were a threat than his email address), but he'd complied. He tried to stay in touch with her, but of course it was hard to do that with his job. This email was one she'd most likely sent via the USAF out of desperation to find him when she couldn't get a hold of him with a phone. He felt a bit guilty for that, as he hadn't contacted her in over a year, which meant of course she didn't have a current phone number or address for him – and the USAF wasn't going to release such info to anyone thanks to the nature of his classified, ultra-secret work.

"_Daniel_," the email read, "_I think you should come to New York ASAP. Steven was on a recent dig in Southern France and some amazing artefacts were found. However, there were some in particular that your people will be concerned about, I believe, and despite my efforts to convince Steven of this, he's insisted on presenting them at a special presentation and lecture in New York City on October 15. Please call me as soon as you get this. I hope you are still in good health and doing well. Take care. – Sarah."_

"Fantastic." Checking his watch, Daniel blew out a breath as he saw he didn't have time to phone Sarah right away before the debrief.

"Bad news, Dr. Jackson?" Walter inquired.

"Hard to say, yet." Daniel replied, tucking the page into a pocket. "Thanks, Walter."

"No problem, sir." Walter replied, watching the anthropologist hurry off upstairs to the briefing room.

* * *

An hour and forty-five minutes later, the debrief was over, but before everyone went their separate ways, Daniel pulled out the email and pushed it down the stable to General Landry.

"Walter passed that on to me when we got back, sir." Daniel folded his hands on the table in front of himself. "I'm going to call Sarah and get more information if I can, but I wanted you to be aware that I may need to go to New York, and that we may have a potential problem."

"Daniel?" Sam asked, his name inquiring all the things she wanted to know.

"New York?" Vala's eyes widened. "I've heard of that place. Shopping…"

"_No_ shopping." Mitchell cut that idea off before it could mutate. "What's up, Jackson?"

"Dr. Steven Rayner is giving a special lecture and showing some new artefacts he and his team found in Southern France on a dig. According to Sarah, these may be items that we don't want the world to see just yet." Daniel explained.

Sam frowned. "But…he signed those non-disclosure agreements after the Egypt incident."

"Yes, but he doesn't really _know_ anything except that I was much more right about my theories than he and everyone else ever knew. He knows nothing specific, and whatever he found wouldn't automatically click as 'alien' to him."

"Rayner…Egypt." Mitchell snapped his fingers. "Osiris! I remember that file. Amazing that he hasn't learned his lesson from that."

Daniel sighed. "Steven has always felt over shadowed by me and under-appreciated by our colleagues. He really is an excellent archaeologist, he just…lacks a certain scope of vision. He's probably seeing this as his opportunity to redeem his name in the community after all that Osiris stuff – that he couldn't tell anyone about – and doesn't see the cons to what he's doing." He shrugged. "He's doing the best he can with the information he's got. It's not his fault."

Mitchell nodded. "Too bad we may have to shut him down."

"Yeah."

"Dr. Jackson." General Landry passed the email back. "Find out what you can from this friend of yours. You have a go should you feel that you must go to New York, and you have full authority to do whatever you must to enforce security. I'll clear SG1's mission schedule until this has been dealt with, but I want regular updates on the situation and a full report at the end."

"Yes, sir. Thank you, General."

"Dismissed." Landry stood and went to his office, leaving SG1 to trail after their linguist and head for Daniel's lab.

* * *

Daniel sat at his desk and reached for his phone, pulling a rolodex over to flip through until he found Sarah's contact information. His team found places around the room to sit or lean on while they waited and listened in.

Dialling quickly, Daniel tried Sarah's land-line first. On the second ring, he realized he was calling at a late hour for her, having forgotten she was in the UK. But, he got lucky as she answered on the fifth ring with a sleepy, "Hello?"

"Sarah, it's Daniel. I'm sorry to get back to you so late. I just got in and forgot about the time difference." He saw Sam glance at her watch and wince in agreement and sympathy. "But you'd said to call ASAP, so…"

"Oh! Daniel, no…don't worry about that." His old friend assured him. "I was beginning to fear you wouldn't get back to me or that my message hadn't reached you."

"It did. And I'm fine." He smiled a little. "It's a secure line, so go ahead and tell me what Steven's done now."

"Last year, Steven was invited to participate in a dig near Narbonne. He joined up, thinking it was a good way to start fixing his name after the disaster with Dr. Jordan's murder…and all that." Sarah swallowed audibly, and Daniel wished she didn't have to remember any of the time she spent trapped in her mind by Osiris. "They were expecting medieval finds, probably Roman ones also, but they found much more than that."

"Like what?"

"That he told me…there's a couple tablets with writing he's never seen before, and some strange objects that look like jewels but aren't. He said the lab results are inconclusive about what material they're made of or how old they might be."

"But you haven't seen any of this yourself?"

"No." Sarah made a frustrated sound. "He won't let anyone but the others from his dig team see any of what they found. I tried, Daniel, but he refuses to let me near it. I don't know if it's because he doesn't trust me or because he's trying to protect me after…well."

Daniel picked up a pen and grabbed a writing tablet. "He trusts you, Sarah. He's just being protective. He doesn't know what happened to you, only that you went missing for a couple years. Listen, I have to start making plans to be able to go to New York; where's this lecture and show at?"

"Conference rooms five and six at the New York Museum of Art. He's supposed to begin unpacking and setting up the displays tomorrow. I was going to get there the day before the lecture, but I can be there sooner."

"Um…I don't know what you could do, Sarah." Daniel hesitated. "It may be best if you leave this to me." He made a few quick notes about what she'd just told him.

"Daniel, I'm probably the only one he'll listen to when you tell him he's being shut down. He resents you too much."

He pinched the bridge of his nose against the headache coming on. "I know. Alright, I can't stop you from being there. But…don't be offended if I can't say much to you."

"I won't. I know better than anyone how important secrecy is for you. And I'll try to impress that upon Steven."

"Yeah. He won't get it, but yeah." Daniel handed the tablet of paper to Vala, who passed it to Mitchell. "One other thing before I let you go…"

"Yes?"

"Do you know if he's told others outside of his team and yourself? Any other colleagues? Museum people? A significant other?" Daniel asked. His eyes met Sam's and she nodded approval at the inquiry.

"I don't, I'm sorry. Though I imagine he has told a few people in order to arrange this exhibition." Sarah replied.

"Alright. I'll have to start rattling some chains but we'll figure it out. Thanks for giving me a heads up on this, Sarah."

"Anything I can do to help you, Daniel. After everything I…saw and had to experience…anything to help."

"It wasn't your fault." Daniel reminded her gently. "No one blames you for any of it. But believe me, I know that's little comfort. If it helps at all, this is a big help to us."

He could almost picture the sad smile on her face. "A little. Take care, Daniel. I'll see you in New York." She hung up on him., and he replaced the phone in its cradle softly.

"Well, people, it looks like we get to take a little trip to the Big Apple." Mitchell declared, handing the pad of paper back to Daniel.

Teal'c raised a curious eyebrow. "…Big Apple?"

"Ah…I'll explain that later, T. He means New York City." Daniel clarified. He shoved away from his desk and went to his bookshelves to grab his pack where it was leaning on them on the floor. It wasn't the same pack he used for off-world missions, but another just like it that he had used for a few years now to transport work home with him. Since he lived on base now, he rarely had occasion to use this pack anymore.

"I'll make travel plans, Daniel, and Cam and I will inform the General." Sam hopped off her stool at his workstation and headed for the door.

"As soon as we know when we're leaving, we'll let _you_ know." Mitchell added, following his fellow officer out.

"Thanks, guys." The archaeologist said absently, already running through a list of things he might need to pack for the trip.

"We shall leave you, DanielJackson, to attend to our own preparations for departure." Teal'c declared, indicating himself and Vala. "Unless you require assistance with something?"

"Oh, no thanks, Teal'c. I've got it. You guys should go ahead." Daniel looked over at them and smiled. The big man acquiesced with a final head bow and left the room quietly, leaving Vala behind.

"Okay, so what might _I_ need to bring along? I don't know what sort of things I'm expected to pack." She picked up a statuette and fiddled with it.

"Clothes for a couple of days and any…you know, girl stuff. Ask Sam." Daniel hastily added with a faint blush. "Otherwise, make sure you have your ID, your cell phone, and…" Daniel thought quickly, then shook his head. "No, that's it. I'll bring the stuff necessary for cataloguing things and a camera. You can help me with that when we get there."

She made a face, but nodded. "Fine. I'll go get started picking out some suitable outfits." Vala waltzed out the door.

"Dress warm! The East Coast can get cool this time of year!" He yelled after her.

"Fine!" Came the far away, yelled reply.

* * *

**Chapter II**

_Wednesday Morning:_

_The nice thing about being on such a highly classified, military team was the benefits of being number one with all the people in power_. Daniel mused, settling comfortably into his seat on the flight to New York. _We get our own jet and we don't have to deal with civilian airport traffic and security_.

Although in this case, if he was honest about it, he almost wished they didn't rate so highly for the sheer amount of stalling it could have provided. He had lots of reasons for not wanting to have to deal with this, not the least of which was the upcoming confrontation with Steven and the awkwardness of being around Sarah once again. Bt even more distressing was the museum itself. Daniel wasn't sure how he was going to handle being there again, even after so many years.

Mitchell was stretched out in his seat catching a power nap while Teal'c and Vala sat at a table in one corner of the cabin where the Jaffa was entertaining her with the Tau'ri card games he had learned over the years. Sam sat near Daniel with her laptop, working away on…whatever projects she had going. But after a while she shut down the computer and set it aside.

"Daniel?" she reached out to pat his knee. "Hey. You look thoughtful. Penny for them?"

Dragging himself out of his memories, he glanced over at her and managed a faint smile. "They're not worth that, Sam." At her expression he just shook his head. "I'm fine. Just tired and hoping to get this over with quickly."

Sam nodded and leaned forward, speaking quietly. "Listen. I know this will be difficult. It didn't click right away, but I did remember the significance of that Museum. It is the same one from the Gamekeeper's simulation, right? The one where…"

"Where my parents died?" Daniel finished softly. He looked out the window at the topside of the clouds. "Yes. But I imagine it has changed a lot in the thirty-odd years since then. I'll be okay, Sam."

"You will." Sam smiled. "Because you know we're there with you, right? If you need to…escape at all, or just want to talk…"

"Thanks, Sam." He gave her a grateful smile. "I appreciate the concern." And he did. Maybe he had most of his family back again, but the most important member was still beyond him and would probably stay that way, and as much as he appreciated Sam's concern for him (and the others', since he had no doubt she was their appointed spokesperson), Daniel didn't feel like talking about it. Discussing his emotions was one of the few things he and Jack always had in common – they didn't like to do it; oddly enough, they'd always been comfortable doing so with each other.

Just another aspect of their weird relationship that was a paradox to everyone around them – not to mention themselves.

In the corner, Vala eyed Teal'c's cards and quickly nabbed one, letting out a huff. "Damn. I don't think I'm going to like the outcome of this… 'Old Maid' game." She pulled the joker.

"It is better than 'Go Fish.'" Teal'c replied, disliking anything that had to do with fishing, even the card game.

"Why couldn't we play poker? I was getting really good at that when we played at the cabin." Vala affected a pout and held out her cards for Teal'c to choose from.

"Because it is less entertaining with only two participating."

"Hmph. The bunch of wet blankets!" Vala sent an ineffectual glare toward the dozing Cam, then looked over at her Daniel and the perky blonde head of Sam Carter. She noted how they sat together, how they were deep in quiet conversation and looking a little sad. Frowning with irrepressible curiosity, the dark-haired reformed thief leaned across the table closer to Teal'c and spoke in a conspiratorial whisper. "What's that all about?" She asked with a head jerk in their direction.

Teal'c raised an eyebrow and calmly snagged a card from Vala's hand (_not_ the joker). Tossing his pair down, he simply said, "If they wished for us to know, they would include us in the conversation."

"No, they wouldn't." Vala scowled to herself. "Daniel tells me nothing unless I drag it out of him with promises of sex and/or extreme bodily harm. And even then he usually just ignores me." She studied her opponent's cards. "The only time he ever volunteers information is when he thinks it will help someone feel better, and when he does, it's still vague."

Nodding, Teal'c waited for her to choose another card. "This is not a reflection of his relationship to you, ValaMalDoran. Daniel Jackson has never spoken of himself to others easily. Other than O'Neill, of course."

Vala took a card and tossed down her pair, holding up her hand for him. "Yeah, why is that? I noticed their ways with each other during the ride home from the whole Merlin's weapon thing. But I didn't really get the chance to get to know the guy."

"O'Neill and DanielJackson were the original Tau'ri that went through their Stargate once DanielJackson correctly interpreted the symbols on it and what it was for. They defeated the supreme System Lord, Ra, together. However, even I do not know the details of that first mission; I know only that a bond formed between them that surpassed that of two warriors or that of two brothers."

Saying nothing, Vala let the subject drop. She had her suspicions about them – a girl doesn't get refused _this_ many times without a good reason – but she wasn't quite ready to call Daniel on it. Even if it did hurt that he continuously turned her down though he obviously thought enough of her to believe she was capable of redemption, of reformation. She'd also heard plenty of rumours around Cheyenne Mountain concerning Daniel and the absent General O'Neill. After a couple more hands, her game with Teal'c ended and by silent, mutual agreement, they put the cards aside.

"Well if you won't tell me what they're getting all cozy about over there," Vala declared slyly, "At least give me something of a hint. A warning. Because if I don't know what to expect, I can't help properly, can I?"

Teal'c smiled his small, enigmatic smile (which was, on the Jaffa, the equivalent of a huge, bright, and happy grin on any human). He understood her curiosity, but he also knew that it was born of her fondness for Daniel, and the innate need to protect that the man's existence evoked in everyone around him. Still, it was not for him to speak of his brother's past (for that is what Teal'c considered the linguist). He could, however, tell Vala enough to satisfy her and allow her to be there should Daniel need it. Although he tried to fill the empty hole left in Daniel's life by O'Neill, always looking out for him and protecting him, there were some things that even Teal'c could not provide that his brother needed. Vala has seemed to do what he could not, to an extent, and he would help her to help Daniel if he had the power to do so.

"DanielJackson may experience a particularly unhappy memory at the place we are to visit, ValaMalDoran. One from his childhood. ColonelCarter merely wishes to reassure him."

"I see." Vala turned to watch the two again for a moment. Sam went back to her laptop, and Daniel had his nose buried in a book. Turning back to Teal'c, she eyed him suspiciously. "And how do you know of this bad memory?"

"Indeed. Daniel Jackson may never have spoken of it to any of us had not the Gamekeeper allowed us all to see and experience it through his simulations."

Vala raised an eyebrow of her own, not knowing what the big guy was talking about, but she didn't inquire further. Teal'c wasn't looking particularly talkative any longer, and getting information out of _him_ was even harder than it was from Daniel. She supposed that she would live with what he told her, and simply keep an eye on Daniel while they were in this place called New York. After all, she knew how traumatic childhoods could be.

* * *

_Thursday Morning:_

SG1 and the six SFs that were assigned to assist them by Generals Landry and O'Neill (Jack had insisted on a little extra help when he heard what was up) spilled out of the two military Hummers in the loading bay area at the side of the New York Museum of Art. Mitchell looked around, taking in the scene quickly and assessing the area for potential problems and, if necessary, escape routes. Slipping on his sunglasses, he joined his teammates and the SFs, who stood nearby awaiting their orders.

"So, Jackson…where's this curator guy who's supposed to meet us?" He inquired. Daniel shrugged, his own eyes busy assessing behind his own sunglasses (Jack would have been proud).

"He said he'd be here, though to be fair we're a little early." The archaeologist replied. "I still don't get why we have these guys along." He jerked a thumb at the SFs, who regarded him impassively. "No offense, guys."

"None taken." One answered tonelessly. "Sir." He added at the dark glare he received from both Sam and Teal'c, and the frown from Mitchell – not that Daniel noticed.

"We don't know exactly what we're going to find in there, Daniel." Sam pointed out, her hands slipping into her leather jacket pockets. "Even if we don't run into any situations, we may just need the extra muscle for moving stuff."

"True." Daniel looked down at Vala, over the top of his sunglasses, with a serious threat of bodily harm in his azure blue gaze. "As for you, hands to yourself. I will happily have you strip searched before we leave if I even _suspect_ you've been tempted and fallen back into your larcenous ways."

"Why, Daniel! I am shocked and hurt. Deeply hurt."

"It won't be me stripping you, but I will be watching – along with everyone else in the Museum."

Pouting, though not offended or even surprised by the threat, Vala crossed her arms and huffed with mock indignation. "You are absolutely no fun. Don't you trust me at all?"

"No."

"And neither do I, so make that threat double." Mitchell added, though it wasn't entirely true. They'd all come to trust Vala a great deal, just not when she was around valuables or things she felt could be profitable. "While we're waiting, let's go over a few things."

"Hold off, Mitchell." Daniel raised a hand. "Here comes Dr. Glasser."

A short, balding, middle-aged man in a grey suit came bustling towards them from the service door next to the big bay delivery doors of the museum.

"Daniel Jackson!" the man declared, smiling in genuine welcome. "It's good to see you again, young man."

"Hello, Dr. Glasser. Thank you for meeting us like this." Daniel stepped forward and shook the curator's hand. "We really appreciate both your assistance and that of the Museum's Board of Directors on the matter I discussed with you yesterday."

"Yes, of course. I must say, I wasn't expecting to hear from the military about anything, and I was even more surprised to learn that _you_ were currently employed by them."

Daniel smiled a little, shrugging. "Civilian consultant, sir. It pays the bills. But seriously, the work I do is extremely important. I wish I could tell you all about it, but…for now it's classified."

Mitchell coughed behind the linguist and Daniel took the hint to move along.

"Anyway, this is my team. Lieutenant Colonels Cameron Mitchell and Samantha Carter, Murray," Daniel didn't even pause to consider the use of Teal'c's Tau'ri name, "and Vala MalDoran. Guys, this is Dr. Henry Glasser. I took several courses with him during my graduate studies, and he was a good friend of my mentor, Dr. Jordan." He introduced the curator to his friends. They greeted one another and Daniel gestured at the SFs. "Did you find the security uniforms I requested?" He asked Henry, who nodded.

"Yes. I have them just inside, if they would like to change."

Mitchell gestured for the SFs to do so and they saluted, leaving SG1 behind. "You boys know what to do and where to be. Move out!"

"If you'll follow me," Henry suggested, "I'll show you to the conference room where Steven's team has all their discoveries awaiting the exhibition."

"Lead on." Daniel nodded, walking alongside the curator. SG1 fell in behind them, letting their linguist take point. As they walked, Henry spoke in low tones to his former student.

"I have to admit I'm quite curious, Daniel, about these artefacts you've come to inspect as a matter of National Security." The older man rubbed the back of his neck ruefully. "I know you can't tell me anything, but…"

"I know. I don't blame you, sir. I'd be curious, too." Daniel sighed. He hated this aspect of his career with the programme. "And honestly, I wish I didn't have to be here, doing this. Covering up discoveries goes against my nature, but…on the other hand, I know why it's been deemed necessary, and I have to agree."

"Daniel, my boy, you were one of my brightest students. And I always knew you would go far someday. If you say it's necessary, then I believe you, because I know it's against your nature, and because you wouldn't allow it to happen otherwise." Henry shook his head. "However, I'm not so sure Steven will understand – nor his team."

"I know." Annoyed by that fact, as well as sad and resigned to the upcoming confrontation, Daniel scowled to himself. "Just another reason for him to hate me." He glanced at the curator. "Is Steven here?"

"No. He and his team were returning sometime this afternoon. I believe they left yesterday to do some last minute research and make final arrangements for their artefacts for after the lecture and exhibition."

"Well, I won't know for sure until we've looked through everything, but he may still have enough to show. Just…not the most exciting parts." Daniel winced a little internally, knowing how he would have felt if someone did to him, what he was going to do to Steven.

"Here we are. I see your military people are frighteningly efficient." Henry drawled, spotting two of the SFs (now dressed as museum security) guarding the doors to the conference room.

"Report, Airmen." Mitchell stopped and inquired in a low voice.

"We're in position, sir. Johnson and Locke are in the security room on the second floor. Whyte and Montoya are inside here at the doors joining this room with the other." One soldier reported in equally low tones.

"Good. We're all on channel three on coms. Shout if there's a problem." Sam gave them a quick salute. "As you were. Lead the way, Dr. Glasser." She invited the curator.

Henry pulled out a key-card and swiped it through the security scanner next to the doors. "Certainly." Once inside, he flipped on the lights. "Well, here it all is."

"Thank you, sir." Daniel scanned the room as the others moved to beginning the search. "I have no idea how long this will take, and I don't want to keep you from your work."

"Oh, it's no trouble, Daniel." Henry smiled and patted the younger man on the arm. "However, I'll make it easier for you to keep your secrets and leave you all to it. I may have seen nearly everything here, but I don't know what some of it may be nor do I remember exactly what everything else is that's here. Therefore, I don't know enough of anything that could be bad." He winked. "Let's keep it that way. If you need anything at all, just call."

"We will. Thanks again, Dr. Glasser." Daniel watched the curator leave the room, then turned to take stock of the crates, boxes, and display cases set up everywhere. This, at least, was a familiar sight.

"Where should we start, Daniel?" Sam asked, coming to stand next to him. "It looks like we may be here a while."

"Yeah. I think you and Vala could start by scanning things for power sources or radiation. Each of you start on opposite sides of the room and work your way to the middle." Daniel made his way to a long table that had yet to be laid out with artefacts, setting his backpack down on it and opening it to take out a notebook and a pencil. "We'll start with the stuff that's already out and unpacked." He gestured at the room in general, speaking to Teal'c and Cam now. "If you see anything even remotely…otherworldly, yell."

They began the search, splitting up as Daniel directed. They'd only been at it for nearly an hour when one of the SF 'security guards' radioed in about someone wanting into the room.

"_Col. Mitchell, come in?_"

Cam set down the box he was carrying and pulled out his radio. "Go ahead." He replied.

"_Sir, there's a woman insisting she be allowed inside. She claims to have been invited._"

Cam looked around for Daniel and shot a questioning look at him. Daniel blinked at him and pulled out his own radio.

"What's her name?" He asked. There was a pause, then, "_Dr. Sarah Gardner._"

Sam came up next to the archaeologist and set a hand on his shoulder. "Daniel…you know she probably shouldn't be here."

"Why? She's the one that tipped us off about this lecture." Daniel argued. "Not to mention that she's already mostly in the know about us, the programme, etc. If we find anything, we don't have to tell her what it is, what it's for, or anything." He gave an exasperated eye-roll at Mitchell's raised eyebrow. "Okay fine. I want her here because sooner or later Steven is going to show up, and Sarah was always the best at running interference between us."

Cam studied him for a moment, then spoke to his radio. "Let her in, Airmen."

"_Yes, sir._"

"I'll hold you responsible for her, Jackson." Cam warned. "No info leaked to her, understood?"

Daniel just waved agreement at him, already walking toward the doors that had just admitted his former colleague. "Hey. Glad you could make it." He greeted her.

"Daniel!" Sarah Gardner gave him a big hug and smiled up at him. "It's very good to see you again."

"You, too. How are you doing?" He asked, concern colouring his tone. She squeezed his hand, her eyes reflecting a sadness that would never really leave her and knowledge beyond her age.

"I'm well. Things are…getting much easier every day." She said softly.

"Dr. Gardner." Sam interrupted, holding out a hand. "You may not remember me…Samantha Carter. I work with Daniel."

Sarah shook her hand and nodded slowly. "Yes. Yes, I do remember you. And you." The former host to Osiris looked up at the towering bulk of Jaffa just beyond Sam. "Teal'c, was it?"

"Indeed." Teal'c gave her a head bow in greeting.

"And this is Lt. Col. Cameron Mitchell." Daniel introduced the man who stood nearby, leaning on a stack of crates with his arms folded across his chest. "He's new to the team, but he fits right in."

"And I'm Vala." The energetic woman herself declared, stepping around Daniel and insinuating herself between him and this red-haired woman that was far too familiar with _her_ Daniel for Vala's comfort.

"Yes, well." Daniel hastily moved onto the subject at hand, deflecting any ideas the dark-haired ex-thief might have had about staking a claim on him – no matter what Daniel thought of it. "We haven't been here long ourselves, and we haven't found anything extraordinary yet."

Sarah nodded. "I wish I could point you in the right direction, but I don't even know what the things Steven found look like."

"Let's get back to it, people." Mitchell motioned for the others to go back to where they'd been searching, pulling Vala away bodily. "I'd like to be out of here before supper tonight."

"I'll help." Sarah offered, following Daniel to the crate he'd been unpacking carefully.

"Thanks again." He said after a few minutes of silence as they worked. "For letting me know about this, and for coming all the way out here."

"As soon as Steven told me what he'd found, I knew you had to know about it." She shrugged, repacking the crate now that they'd found nothing unusual amongst its contents. "He knows you were right, Daniel, but he's still jealous and resentful of your brilliance and success."

"Ah, but no one amongst our peers but you know how successful I was in my theories. And they won't for a long, long time because the world's not ready." Daniel stated firmly, making notations in his notebook. "I haven't published a thing since I joined the project, and likely never will. As far as academia is concerned, I've disappeared off the planet." He smiled wryly. "They'll never know how true that is."

"Doesn't that bother you? Even a little bit?" She asked, watching him closely as he carefully closed up the crate. "The one thing you were ever ambitious about was proving your theories, Daniel, and proving to all those who criticized and maligned your work that they were full of crap and far too staid in thinking."

Daniel paused in his hammering. "Not this again. Sarah, you and I will never agree on the subject of career ambitions." He went back to hammering the lid to the crate down, perhaps a bit more forcefully than before. "And yes, for a while it did frustrate me that I couldn't tell people everything. But that didn't last long." The galaxy-hopping linguist set aside the hammer and met her gaze with fathomless blue eyes that held not just knowledge but the wisdom of ages. "The reality I know and deal with every day is infinitely more important than my academic ego. None of us fight the battles we do for personal gain. We fight for survival. We search for knowledge and explore because we seek to better ourselves as a race and to understand how we come to be and why we're here. There's nothing more important than that."

Stunned by the vehemence with which Daniel spoke, Sarah stared at the man she thought she knew and understood. "I didn't mean, Daniel, to…"

"DanielJackson!" Teal'c's voice cut across her words and she snapped her mouth shut. Daniel turned to see what the Jaffa wanted.

"Find something, Teal'c?" He called back.

"Indeed. Many somethings. Perhaps you should inspect these, DanielJackson."

"Be right there." Daniel glanced at Sarah. "Look, I'm sorry I went off on a tangent like that. I know you, better than anyone, understand the reality I live with. But even you, Sarah, don't know half of how bad things really can be, or the true evils that exist out there. The Goa'uld are only the tip of the iceberg. And until my dying breath – the one where I truly die, permanently – I'll do whatever I have to in order to make certain the people of this planet are given the chance to reach the point where they can deal with the things I know." Picking up his notebook and pencil, Daniel left Sarah to see what Teal'c had discovered.

"Hey, T, what'd you find?" The linguist strode up to Teal'c and peered into the open crate.

"They appear to be those stones that were used by the Ancients as communication devices." The Jaffa replied, holding one out to his friend. "In this crate, I also discovered these stone tablets." He indicated three slabs of rock on the table next to the crate. "The writing appears to be of Ancient origin, though I cannot read it."

"Huh. Yeah, you're right." Daniel set the little polished jewel-like stone aside and picked up one tablet, studying the text. "Well, just at a glance, this one appears to be instructions for the stones. I'll take a closer look later, but this stuff is definitely what we were looking for."

"What shall we do with these items, DanielJackson?"

"Set it aside from the other stuff, for now. Once we have everything and know what all we have to pack up and ship home, we can ask Dr. Glasser for some proper packing materials." Daniel looked around the room, searching for Vala. "Vala!"

"What?" She popped up from behind some crates in a far corner. Cam was with her, digging through open boxes.

"Bring my pack and come over here. Time to earn your assistant credentials."

Perfectly happy to leave Mitchell to his own devices, the former host to Qetesh weaved her way over, stopping to grab Daniel's pack. She flashed a bright, completely smug smile at Sarah before swaying over to join Teal'c and Daniel.

"Assistant Vala reporting for duty, Dr. Jackson." She announced blithely, giving him a sloppy salute. Teal'c raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.

"Cut it out." Daniel chided, pointing at the stuff Teal'c continued to unload on the table. "My camera's in my pack. Take pictures of everything you see here, and make sure that these tags are visible in the pictures." Daniel showed her the archival tags each item had from the dig team. "Then re-tag them with ours and make sure you record which became what in the log."

"Right. Got it." Vala was already pulling out the camera and necessary items from Daniel's pack. "Wow. So many of those little communicators. Is there one of those big devices they go with, too?"

"I don't know yet." He shrugged. "Keep looking, Teal'c. Now that you found this stuff, if there's anything else, it's likely to be in the same area."

"Understood. I will continue my search and assist ValaMalDoran, also."

"Thanks, T."

"Daniel! Got something here!"

This time it was Sam calling for him. He hurried over, Mitchell not far behind. "What is it, Sam?" He asked.

"I've got a faint energy reading here. I don't think it's from any of the buildings' wiring, either." Sam frowned as she scanned the pile of crates and boxes.

"Maybe it's whatever is hidden under that tarp behind all this stuff." Cam pointed out the canvas. "Help me move these crates, Jackson."

Together they began clearing aside everything in front of the covered object. Sam scanned each crate and box they moved, just in case, but in the end it was the object under the canvas. Cam yanked it off and all three let out a low whistle.

"It's a big hunk of rock." Cam decided.

"With Ancient text all over it." Sam agreed. "But why the power source?"

"It's a broken obelisk, with Ancient writing that once I translate will hopefully explain why it needs power." Daniel was already crouching down to study the base. "Not here through. I think this may be a bit more than we were prepared to crate up and take to go."

"Well, if _Odyssey_'s out and about, we could always ask them to beam it to the SGC labs for us." Sam pointed out.

"Good idea."

Mitchell called out to the others. "Hey guys! Y'all need to see this."

Teal'c, Vala, and a hesitant Sarah gathered around the obelisk that was missing a large chunk of its top.

Vala whistled. "Wow. I wasn't expecting that. How are we getting that back home?" She inquired.

"Asgard beams, probably." Cam answered, watching as Daniel brushed away dust, dirt, and debris from a spot near the top of the base that the obelisk sat on, which was right at the height of about Daniel's stomach when he was standing.

"We have seen many obelisks in our travels." Teal'c said, also watching the archaeologist work. "And many of those had some form of Ancient writing inscribed upon them."

"My scans showed a power source, Teal'c." Sam informed him, answering his unspoken question of 'what is so special about this one?'

"I see. That is, indeed, unusual. I can think of only one other such case." The Jaffa looked meaningfully at Mitchell. "The Sodan."

Mitchell's eyes widened slightly and he nodded. "Yeah. Maybe."

"Ancient?" Sarah asked. She wore a slightly puzzled expression. "I remember a lot of things, but all I remember of that is that the name referred to a race of beings that Anubis seemed quite obsessed with. I don't remember ever meeting one."

"We don't know much more than that ourselves." Cam replied easily, shooting the others a warning look. "And I'm afraid we aren't allowed to share." It _was_ still classified information, after all.

A faint flash of disappointment crossed Sarah's face, for the archaeologist in her. That much of herself she had not lost to Osiris.

Daniel, already gaining some suspicions from his cursory exam of the obelisk, dusted his hands and looked over at his team. "Well, I'll study this more later. Let's just get everything else."

Vala held up the camera. "Want me to get a few shots?"

"Yes, please, when you're done with that other stuff."

At that moment, SG1's radios crackled. "_Col. Mitchell, come in._"

Cam pulled out his radio. "This is Mitchell. Report?"

"_Sir, there are several people outside, here, demanding to be let in. They claim this is their exhibit. Orders, sir?_"

"A moment, Airman." Cam glanced from Daniel to Sarah and back. "Friends of yours, Jackson?"

"Friends? Highly doubt it." Daniel's reply was snarky, but truthful. He held up a hand when Mitchell looked like he was going to start a lecture. "However…I may as well get this over with. I'll go see if Steven is out there, and if he is, I'll bring him back in here where we can argue without our colleagues listening in."

"Fine." Cam agreed, a moment of sympathy showing on his face. "Just…keep the info classified, alright?"

Daniel nodded absently, his mind already a million light years away as he turned and began weaving through the room to the doors.

"I'll come with you, Daniel." Sarah hurried after him, determined to help in any way she could.

Sam watched her 'little brother' sadly, exchanging a look with Teal'c. "I think it may be time to bring both Steven and Sarah into the programme. The SGC could always use more minds, and it would relieve Daniel somewhat, I think."

Vala crossed her arms, leaning on a crate. "So why haven't they before now?"

"SarahGardner was taken as host by Osiris many years ago. Once we were able to capture her and the Tok'ra assisted in the removal of Osiris, SarahGardner was in no fit state to lend her knowledge to the SGC." Teal'c explained. "She did not seem to want to have any further contact with anything or anyone associated with such a traumatic experience."

"Hmph." Vala tossed her head in disdain. "Although I sympathize with the whole host aspect, she's a fool. Running away won't make her feel any better and she'll never forget entirely."

Cam squeezed the feisty woman's shoulder. "You're right. But…cut her some slack, Vala. You grew up with hardship and you know how things are out there in the galaxy. Dr. Gardner didn't. And some people just don't have the strength of spirit people like us seem to have."

"She's still a fool." Nothing anyone said would change Vala's mind.

"We'll ask Daniel what he thinks later." Sam sighed. "He pretty much oversees the civilian aspect of the mountain – the linguistics, anthro-archaeology parts at least. He might have some positions that they could fill."

* * *

Daniel pushed open the doors and stepped out into the brightly lit corridor that was occupied by several annoyed social scientists and two stoic SFs in their museum security disguises. Sarah stood quietly to his side and slightly behind him, willing to let him take charge and only speak up if Daniel needed assistance – though she had begun to think he probably wouldn't. He had changed so much from the Daniel she'd once known. _This_ Daniel Jackson commanded a presence and respect he'd never had before, and she wasn't entirely sure how to deal with that.

Stepping forward, the SFs flanking him subtly, Daniel raised his voice and spoke in a tone he'd perfected in lecture halls and classrooms. "Attention, please! If you'll all just be quiet for a moment…"

"Hey! What's going on here?" One of the nearest man demanded. "Why are we being denied entry to _our_ exhibit?"

"We've got to be ready by tomorrow!" A female voice added from somewhere in the middle.

"I'm very sorry, but under the National Securities Act, this exhibit and lecture is under immediate investigation. Until we have finished, no one without clearance will be allowed in, and any one of you involved may be asked to turn over all data, records, photographs, etc., regarding the artefacts and the dig they were discovered at. If you do not comply, you can be charged and held under the NSA for an unspecified time." Daniel announced, internally wincing at both having to tell these people that and their expressions of shock and outrage.

"And just who the hell are you?" A woman from the front of the crowd demanded. "What authority do you think you have?" She didn't even let him answer before turning to the others and asking, "Where's Steven? And Joel? Someone call them and get them here now! And someone find Dr. Glasser!"

Daniel eyed the crowd and narrowed his gaze at them. "Yes, please, do find Steven. We need to question him anyway. As for the rest," he turned the full force of his glare on the woman, pulling out his civilian military ID and holding it up like a cop flashing his badge. "My name is Dr. Daniel Jackson, and I'm a civilian consultant to the USAF via the Pentagon. I have full authority through them. But if that's not good enough for you, how does Presidential authority grip you?"

The woman's eyes widened for a moment. "Presidential? As in of the United States? Don't you think that's laying it on a little thick?"

"Excuse me. Pardon me." Dr. Glasser pushed his way through the crowd and hurried over to Daniel. "Daniel, is there a problem? I can call for more security if you like?"

"No. Thank you, sir, that won't be necessary." Daniel gave the poor man a small smile of reassurance. "But if you could recommend a room that these fine people could wait comfortably in, that would be very helpful."

"Of course! Next door in the conference hall. I'll unlock the doors."

"Perfect. Thanks."

"Wait a minute…" a young man pushed ahead of the others and studied Daniel suspiciously. "Jackson… Aren't you that weird guy that insisted the pyramids of Giza were built by aliens and that civilization is over 10,000 years old."

Daniel just looked at him impassively, having long since been validated and not caring if any of these people still remembered him as the extremely outrageous academic with crazy, ridiculous theories that were the laughing stock of academia nearly twelve years ago.

"Yes, he is." A new voice answered for him. Dr. Steven Rayner had finally shown up, and his expression vaguely reminded Daniel of Teal'c when the Jaffa was suffering from indigestion – a much more frequent occurrence since the loss of his _primta_. "And I should have known you wouldn't keep out of this, Daniel."

"Steven, don't." Sarah pleaded, stepping out from behind Daniel. "This isn't something personal."

He glared at her. "And I _really_ should have known not to tell you anything. I should have known you'd go running to _him_." Steven stared darkly at them both. "Why can't you just stay out of my life, Daniel? Hmm? Out of my career? I'm never going to earn anyone's respect because of you!"

Daniel sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose as he contemplated the situation and his options for handling it. "Look, I'm sorry this isn't going to happen the way you want it to, and I'm sorry to be the one that has to enforce it. I wish you could have this, Steven, I really do." And he did. Honestly. "But the world's not ready. And you should have recognized that you'd never be allowed to go through with it." He held up a finger, waggling it when Steven opened his mouth to refute him. "No! Not here. In a moment."

"Dr. Jackson, what should we do with everyone?" One SF asked him politely.

"Pull Montoya and Whyte from inside." The linguist replied. "They can cover these doors while you and Sgt. Connor keep an eye on our…guests in the lecture hall."

He got a smart salute for his trouble. "Yes, sir. And him?" He gestured at a seething Steven.

"He's with me. For now. SG1 and I will handle it."

"Very good, sir."

Daniel nodded at the SFs and motioned for Steven and Sarah to precede him into the exhibit room.

* * *

**Chapter III**

"Listen, Steven, I'm not going to argue with you about this or old issues." Daniel stated in a weary, but firm voice. "Whether it was me here, shutting down this exhibit, or not…_someone_ would. Be thankful it's my team and I that you're working with because believe me, there are many worse people you could be dealing with on this. At least we're reasonable."

"I don't understand why 'your people,'" Steven stalked along beside Daniel (Sarah following behind), complaining as he went, "As you call them, think they have the right to just barge in and interfere with legitimate academic pursuits! And why the hell would a few artefacts – though strange – be a threat to National Security?"

"Like I said before…it's classified, and I can't tell you. If you don't like it, take it up with the President, next time you see him – though I'm fairly sure he'll just ignore you." Daniel spotted his teammates continuing on with the search. "Until then, you and everyone else on the dig, as well as anyone who had access to any of the related data, artefacts, etc., will have to turn over everything you've got; every single paper, file, data disk, email, photo, video…hell, post-it notes, even. And expect to be signing another mountain of disclosure forms and agreements, Steven." With that warning, the linguist went over to where Mitchell and Teal'c were stacking crates around the obelisk. "Hey, so..what'cha doing?"

Cam dusted his hands off. "Well, Sam called General Landry, who agreed to task the _Odyssey_ to assist us. Apparently they're just lazing around up there, playing with all the new toys." He replied, referring to the Asgard technology their little alien friends had bestowed on the Tau'ri before their mass destruction a few months ago.

"We are preparing the artefacts for transport, Daniel Jackson." Teal'c added. " and ValaMalDoran are making a final sweep of the room to make certain we have not missed anything."

"Wow. You guys finished already? That's great!" Daniel, impressed, smiled at his friends. "I gotta tell you, I can't wait for this day to be done."

"Daniel, my darling," Vala sidled up next to her favourite person as Steven and Sarah approached the group. "Sam had an excellent idea that you should probably ask her about before we leave." She hooked an arm through Daniel's comfortably and held on, her eyes on both archaeologists.

With an eye-roll, Daniel extracted his arm and steered Vala around his former friends and peers, heading for Sam. "Okay, then let's go talk to her."

"Hey." Sam's blonde head turned to glance at them briefly before returning to study the scanning instrument in her hand. "So how did it go?"

"Oh, same old schtick. You know…'why are you here, Daniel? Why are you determined to ruin my life, Daniel?' But Vala says you have an idea?" He prompted, not wanting to dwell on Steven's anger and accusations.

"Yep. I'm thinking if you want the guy off your back, then the best way would be to bring him into the programme." Sam shut off her equipment and sat on a folding chair. She spoke quietly. "I'm not even suggesting as an off-world asset. Both Dr. Rayner and Dr. Gardner could be very valuable to your department for research and on-world study."

Daniel pondered that for a moment. "Maybe." He agreed slowly. "But there might be some issues there, especially for Sarah after what she went through." And then, as it always was, a few mega-watt light bulbs went off and his mind took Sam's idea much further than even she ever seemed to go. Although to be fair, he'd had this fantasy floating around in his brain since Vala and her 'treasure map' and her 'marriage bracelets' led them to Glastonbury Tor and Merlin's treasure. But he'd never dreamed he'd actually see a way to make it happen.

"Daniel?" Sam inquired curiously. He'd gone all thoughtful on her, and she recognized the expression he wore as his 'I'm about to be brilliant' one.

Her adopted little brother raised a finger, eyebrows furrowed deeply. "In a minute. Hey, guys?" Daniel called out to their teammates. "Could I have a moment? Sorry, Sarah. Steven. This will only take a moment, if you could just wait there."

Sarah nodded, holding Steven back with a hand on his arm. The archaeologist scowled, getting more and more annoyed.

Teal'c and Cam joined Vala, Sam, and Daniel. "What's up?" Cameron asked.

"Well…how many alien discoveries have we – meaning the SGC – made right here on Earth since the Stargate first opened?" If the strange question confused anyone, they didn't show it.

"Several." Teal'c answered after a moment. "Many important discoveries have been made on this planet – not always by the SGC, but sometimes by others, as this exhibit exemplifies."

"Antarctica, Honduras, Mexico, Egypt…" Cam listed off countries where such things were found from his memory of mission reports and his own experience. "…England, and now France."

"Right. Now, I admit it annoys me that no one thought of this sooner – including myself, and I only got the idea after Glastonbury Tor – but with everything we now know, all these discoveries that keep being made…does anyone know why we don't have a permanent on-world archaeological/research team to deal with right here at home?" Daniel wondered, glancing around at each of his friends in question.

"I don't even pretend to understand how Tau'ri society works half the time," Vala drawled, studying her nails, "but you said it yourself, Daniel; no one else has thought of it yet."

"And we did sort of…cull the academic pool and send a large number of the world's best and brightest off to Atlantis with Dr. Weir." Sam pointed out. "But you're right. It does seem strange that we've ignored our own planet all this time – not that I'm trying to invalidate the entire programme or anything, because…no way." She hastily added.

"Indeed. Perhaps now that we face a much graver enemy than even the Goa'uld or the Replicators, our focus should include the First World. I have often noticed that Earth features more often than not in the pasts of not only the Tau'ri but of the enemies – and allies – of the Tau'ri, also." Teal'c stated.

"So…what? You think it's time to start a team? With those two?" Cam asked, indicating Sarah and Steven with his thumb. "Is that such a good idea? And why haven't you tried recruiting them before now?"

"Well, yes. I think they'd be perfect for the job of leading an Earth-side team. And before there was no place to put them, not to mention Sarah was still dealing with her…traumatic issues." Daniel explained, _sotto voce_. "And quite honestly, I don't think either of them are suitable for active, off-world duty, at least not yet. I doubt they'd be able to handle the field-training; even Sarah, who is quite feisty when she wants to be."

"Okay, so what do we do now, then?" Vala wanted to know. "I can tell that Steven guy isn't going to let us just beam out of here with his precious stuff without an explanation.

"She has a point, Daniel. And I don't think there's any possible cover story we could come up with that he – not to mention the rest – will believe or accept." Sam agreed quietly.

"Well, I'll have to call General Landry and see what he says. Then…I guess I'll have to go pester Jack so he can pester the IOA and those Pentagon suits about it. At least I can get them clearance, for now."

"Right. Jackson, you make your call to the Generals. Sam, Vala, and I will finish packing and get this stuff aboard the _Odyssey_." Cam decided.

Teal'c glanced at his young friend, already with his cell phone out and punching numbers on the keypad obliviously. "I will remain with DanielJackson and lend my assistance."

"Fine, fine." Cam waved him off, leading the females of their group back over to the artefacts they were packing up.

"Dr. Jackson for General Landry, please." Daniel said when the switchboard operator answered at the Mountain. A moment later, Hank Landry's jovial – yet serious – commanding voice responded, "Landry."

"General, it's Dr. Jackson reporting in, sir."

"Good, good. I was just about to call one of you. I just got off the horn with Col. Davis at Homeworld Security. He's sending some Pentagon pencil-pushers to deal with your crowd of archaeologists and their disclosure agreements."

"Oh! Good. One less thing to worry about." Daniel breathed a sigh of relief. That had been one aspect he did not want to deal with if he didn't have to. "I'll let the rest of SG1 know, sir."

"Thank you. Now, what can I do for you, son? I suspect this call was more than just a check-in."

"Um…yes, actually. I want to request that Dr. Gardner and Dr. Rayner be issued clearance – full clearance – so that I can explain to them what's going on." Daniel hastily kept talking, fearing the immediate answer would be 'not on your life, kid – not matter how many you've got.' He explained the situation, his reasoning, and the idea he had proposed to the others. When he stopped talking, there was a moment of silence on the line as Landry absorbed the info and thought about it. "Sir, I hadn't expected to ever see my idea happen, so I don't have a proposal in the works, but as soon as we get back I'll get started on a formal proposal, and I'll oversee the new team's work personally if you want…" he added, after a few more seconds of silence.

"Whoa, now, Dr. Jackson, just back the truck up a bit. We'll deal with that later. You've made an excellent point about this new team, and I will be bringing it up as soon as possible with all the necessary parties."

"Really? Uh, wow. Thank you, sir." Stunned, Daniel smiled a little. He wasn't sure he'd be able to convince Landry – or anyone else – that such a team was necessary or worth the expense.

"Don't thank me until it happens. You know how much of a fight it is for any new expense with the IOA."

"Very true, General. Unfortunately…"

"As for the other…are you certain that they're trustworthy, Dr. Jackson? And for what reason would I have to ask the President for permission?"

"Well, I think Sarah has proven herself trustworthy, sir. And like I said, Steven bought the cover story we cooked up for him last time, but he won't this time. Not when he's seen as much as he has and with us – _me_ – here shutting him down. I honestly think when he hears and sees the truth, he'll be completely on board with the secrecy of the programme and an asset to the SGC." Daniel just hoped the guy could see past his own insecurities and desires for recognition long enough to comprehend the importance of it all.

"Alright. And if your plan for this Earth-side team doesn't pan out? What will you do with them then?"

"They would still be assets to the SGC, sir. We still need researchers, translators, and archaeologists trained in the archiving and preservation of artefacts and delicate materials. They would earn their salaries, sir." Of that, at least, Daniel was positive. "If you need something more to tell the President, or if he needs a more formal proposal, I'll be happy to…"

"Yes, Doctor. So you've already stated." A pause. "Very well. I'll start making phone calls, and to begin I'll give you permission to talk to them _only_ about the current mission you're on and those artefacts. Nothing else until you hear from me, understood?" Landry's voice was stern, but Daniel could hear the slight smile in it.

"Loud and clear, General. Thank you, sir." Daniel shut his cell and pocketed it, smiling up at Teal'c, who raised an expressive eyebrow in question.

"He's actually going to try and make it happen." The linguist explained.

"Why would GeneralLandry not see the value in such a plan, DanielJackson? It is a reasonable suggestion regarding the exploration mandate of the SGC." The Jaffa regarded the younger, brilliant man knowingly. "You feel your ideas are of little worth to those Tau'ri making the political and economic decisions for the programme."

"Well…yeah." Daniel flushed a little, stuffing his hands in his jacket pockets self-consciously. "I'm not well-liked by the pencil pushers in Washington or the IOA. And the recent little…incident where I went Prior doesn't really help much." He wouldn't add how he was certain that same incident had irrevocably broken what might have still remained of his roller coaster friendship with Jack. The man hadn't talked to him since they'd come home, and the ride back had been cold, lonely, and uncomfortably silent between them.

Teal'c merely tilted his head in undisguised disgust. "They are fools. They do not see the reality of which you and I see every day, only what is written on paper. And they do not hear the wisdom of your words, DanielJackson, because they do not believe in anything beyond their own desires and petty needs. This, however, I do not believe will prevent you from doing what must be done."

"No, you're right. Besides," Daniel's grin flashed and there was a hard gleam in his surreal blue eyes that was usually reserved for Goa'ulds, Priors, and Jack O'Neill, "It was worth it just for scaring the total crap out of Weasel-Woolsey."

Teal'c smiled in a peacefully content way, as he did when fools were made to see how foolish they truly are. "Indeed."

Daniel rubbed at the bridge of his nose and sighed, gearing himself up to go talk to Steven again. "Let's go, my friend. Might as well try and calm the storm brewing over Steven's stubborn head." The big black man followed Daniel calmly, staying just far enough behind to remain overtly protective and yet still be immensely intimidating.

"That's a poor excuse and you know it, Sarah." Steven was saying to the weary, sad female as they approached. "You've sold out to the military, too, haven't you? Wherever you went to after Dr. Jordan died…"

"That's enough, Steven." Daniel snapped, stepping between the two and giving his former colleague a stony stare. "That's none of your business, and you know it. Leave Sarah be. And as for right now, you can just stop throwing accusations and blame around. Like I said before, if Sarah hadn't told me, then you'd be dealing with much less agreeable people, and probably staring at the inside of a prison cell right now."

Livid, Steven threw his hands in the air and gave a short, growling scream of pure frustration. "Are you just completely insane? What have I done that's so goddamned awful I'd be imprisoned for it? Tell me, _Daniel_…" Steven was right in Daniel's face as he spoke now, poking the other man in the chest. Daniel merely glared back at him, unfazed – after all, one didn't face down System Lords, hoards of Jaffa, and hundreds of Replicators (not to mention _die_ a few times) without growing a backbone. "…what do I have to fear from _you_?"

"There's only one way I can tell you anything, Steven. I'm working on that, but at the moment I've only got permission to discuss the current situation. The artefacts we're confiscating are a threat to National Security because knowledge of their existence is a potential threat to the programme I am a part of – have been for the last eleven years or so." Daniel folded his arms over his chest. "If you'll kindly back off and calm down, we can discuss this like the professionals and adults we are."

"Steven, please." Sarah laid a hand on Daniel's arm, stepping out from behind him. "I know you're confused, and upset, and that you don't really trust either of us, but Daniel's telling you the truth. He's only telling you what he's allowed to, and if you ever believe me about _anything_ at all ever again…please believe that what he isn't telling you is for your protection, not because he wants to ruin your career or your life, nor because he wants the credit of your discovery."

Rayner stared at her for a moment, then looked back at Daniel before taking a slow, deliberate step back. "Fine. Start talking."

"Thank you." Daniel flicked his eyes toward Teal'c, who'd tensed and looked very much like he was prepared to jump in and restrain Steven if he dared touch one hair on Daniel's head. In a small nod, the linguist conveyed to the Jaffa that the situation was under control. Teal'c simply nodded back and planted himself where he stood like a titanium wall. Realizing his self-appointed guardian wasn't budging, Daniel shrugged.

"Well?" Steven demanded impatiently.

"There isn't really much I can tell you because I haven't had time, yet, to really study things. But what I do know is this: the material some of those artefacts are made of can't be found on this planet, and the writing on the broken obelisk and those tablets is a language that very, very few people _anywhere_ have ever heard of, spoken or read or written in millennia, or are currently able to translate."

Sarah's eyes widened in apparent recognition. "I…I remember…"

"If you do, then you know how much more important it is that we take this stuff and figure it out before someone who doesn't understand the technology fools around with it." Daniel hastily interrupted, shooting her a warning look.

Steven frowned. "You know what it is, Sarah?"

"No. I only…vaguely know of who may have built it."

"I suspect it's some form of communication device. Sam was getting power readings earlier, so it may be still working." Daniel shrugged at the incredulous look on Steven's face. "Like I said, I'm making educated guesses because I haven't had a chance to really study it."

"Okay…but…you can read the writing? You know who made that stuff?" Steven kept on frowning. "I don't understand how that's possible. No one has seen _anything_ like that writing before."

"I wish I could tell you how, Steven. And if my request is granted, I promise I will."

The dark-haired man shook his head, trying to process things. "What request?"

Teal'c stepped up to Daniel's side, dropping a hand on his shoulder and squeezing gently in support. "DanielJackson has petitioned of our superiors to be allowed to bring both yourself and SarahGardner into the programme, with full-disclosure of the programme's mandates, activities, and achievements. He believes you would be great assets to…your nation if you agree to join us."

Blinking at the giant of a man, Steven looked shocked. "What? You want _us_ to work for the government? And who are you?"

"This is…Murray." Daniel hesitated, using the Tau'ri name Jack had once pinned on the Jaffa as a cover because he still didn't know how much he could safely tell Steven. "He's a very good friend of mine, and he's a member of my team. Yes, Steven, I'm waiting for permission to recruit the both of you." He smiled faintly. "You want to work on something important? You want recognition and credit? I guarantee you'll get it. This project is the greatest adventure you'll ever have, Steven. You'll learn things, see things, you never dreamed possible. And…" Daniel's expression saddened, his eyes holding a wealth of knowledge and sorrow. "…you'll discover just how insignificant all of that is. What I do – what _we_ do – is more important than any personal desire or the ridiculous squabbles the nations of our world are constantly mired in."

"He's not exaggerating, Steven." Sarah added, her voice quiet and full of deep sadness and conviction. "I only remember small parts of what happened to me, but it's enough to know that Daniel is a part of something profound. Not just to the academic world but to all of humanity." She looked at Daniel. "I don't know if I can be involved, Daniel. I don't think I can ever go out there again…"

"No, Sarah." He took her hands and clasped them tightly. "Of course not. You wouldn't be expected to be on a field unit. Your feet would stay firmly planted on terra firma, I promise. No, what I have in mind would suit you both much better than the kinds of things _I_ run around doing on an average day at the office." Daniel quirked a smile. "You would have your own team. I'd supervise, advise, etc., but your team would essentially be free agents." He sobered. "I won't lie and tell you that you'd be in no danger, however."

"Indeed. There are yet many…snakes to be wary of." Teal'c agreed sagely. "And you may often be required to travel to places of unrest and strife around the world."

Daniel's smile was weak. "Yeah. Snakes don't have the monopoly on evil, after all. Humans can be just as bad." He coughed and straightened. "Anyway, I just want you to think about it. I'm afraid I can't say anything further at the moment. And Steven," Daniel threw an abjectly apologetic expression at the other man. "I am truly sorry to bust up your exhibit. If the world was ready, I'd have done what I could to help you share it with everyone. But not quite yet. We're still…much too young."

Frowning because he had no idea what Daniel meant by that, Steven warily nodded. "I'll reserve judgement. For now. And I'll think about what you want to offer, Daniel. But no promises."

"I'll think about it, too." Sarah said. "I…have to decide if I'm strong enough to face that reality again."

"If it matters, I think you are. And I think you both can make a difference." Daniel glanced over as Vala called his name. "Duty calls. Come on, T…Murray. Let's go see what's up." Together, the teammates joined the others, leaving Sarah and Steven alone to talk everything over.

"You bellowed?" He drawled, sidestepping a crate.

"We're done." Vala ignored the jibe. "We were wondering what General Landry said."

"He's looking into the whole new team thing." Daniel informed them, feeling a bit more pleased about it now that the possibility of it really happening was setting in. "And he said he'd try and talk the powers-that-be into bringing Sarah and Steven into the fold. They only have clearance regarding this mission, for the time being, however."

"Right. Any new orders?" Cam asked.

"No. He did say the Pentagon was sending some people to deal with the rest of Steven's dig team." He'd almost forgotten that part.

Sam rolled her eyes. "Col. Emerson offered to beam us all up to _Odyssey_ and drop us off back in the Springs instead of us flying back the conventional way."

"Great." Daniel shrugged. "Beats jet-lag."

"What about the two Doctors over there?" Cameron pulled out his radio when it crackled, holding up a hand. "Hold that thought…Mitchell."

"_Col. Mitchell, a team from the Pentagon has arrived, sir. They're requesting to speak to SG1 before they debrief the archaeologists in the conference room_."

"Copy that. We're coming." The officer answered. "You heard the man, folks." He ushered them forward. As they neared Sarah and Steven, Sam indicated that they should follow.

"You two better tag along. I'm sure the Pentagon sent a nice big stack of forms for you to sign off on as well."

Steven raised both eyebrows in surprise at the implied official brass that was getting involved, but didn't protest. Daniel suspected his curiosity was slowly overriding his animosity and hopefully tweaking his interest in the prospect of Daniel's offer. Both he and Sarah allowed themselves to be herded along to the lecture hall next door.

The first one of SG1 to say anything at the sight of who was requesting their presence was Vala.

"Oh _no_. _Not_ you again."

Richard Woolsey looked very much like he'd rather be elsewhere, too. "Ms. MalDoran. How nice to see you again." No one mistook that for anything more than sheer politeness.

"If it isn't the little weasel-y man." Vala returned the greeting none to fondly – not that any of her friends rushed to interrupt. "Why do you insist on turning up where we least want to see you?"

"I'm only trying to do my job."

"Alright. So do it. You don't need us for that." Cam jumped in, aware that there was an entire roomful of curious onlookers staring and listening raptly to the exchange.

"No, I don't. I do, however, have need of Dr. Rayner and Dr. Gardner. I believe their statements and forms will take considerably longer to get through, and I've been asked to administer to them personally." Woolsey drew himself up to stand as straight as he could, trying to appear in control – though both he and SG1 knew better. "As they were not among these others, I assumed they would be with SG1."

"Why personally?" Sam asked suspiciously. "And by who? General O'Neill? Or are you here doing the IOA's dirty work again?"

"Because just before I arrived, General Landry contacted me with direct orders from the Joint Chiefs to work on their forms for full clearance and disclosure, Col. Carter." Woolsey frowned at her. "And I take offence at the implication that the IOA has any part of any untoward activities!"

"Ha!" Vala tossed her hair over her shoulder indignantly. "Of course you do."

"Daniel?" Sarah looked at him questioningly. The SGC's top civilian sighed and rubbed at his eyes. He could feel the headache coming on fast. "It's a very long story, Sarah. Don't worry about it." Daniel gestured to one of his least favourite people. "This is Richard Woolsey. He's apparently been appointed the task of debriefing you both and helping you fill out all the stuff you'll have to in order to get official full clearance. You're going to be asked a lot of questions, Steven." Daniel warned, turning to the other of his former peers. "And you will probably be asked to turn over every little thing you've got regarding…all that stuff we are taking with us."

Steven nodded slowly. "Fine. So…what? Once we fill out papers and answer questions, then what?"

"Well, you can still give your presentation and hold your exhibition, but you'll have to comply with any editing these folks make." Daniel nodded toward the JAG lawyers in Air Force uniforms standing behind Woolsey. "I'm afraid it won't be quite as exciting as it was going to be, but it's up to you. After that…I think you'd both better pack up your belongings because you'll likely be moving."

"Hey! Colorado Springs isn't so bad." Cam smiled and clapped Daniel on the shoulder, the down-home Southern charm rolling off him. "You'll like it, I'm sure."

"Yes, well…" Woolsey interrupted. "We have a lot of work to do, so if you don't mind, I'd like to get started. Oh, and Dr. Jackson?"

Daniel gazed heavily at Woolsey. "What?" He wanted to smirk at the decidedly nervous expression on the man's face. "For cryin' out loud, relax, Dick! I can't wiggle my fingers and hang you half-way up a wall by the throat anymore."

Clearing his throat and flushing in embarrassment, Woolsey tugged at the collar of his shirt. "Yes, well, I merely wanted to pass on a message from General Landry. He's meeting you on the _Odyssey_, and he's requested you report to the briefing room immediately when you arrive."

"Ah. Fine then." Ignoring the man now, Daniel turned to smile reassuringly at Steven and Sarah. "Well, I'm leaving you to it. You'll be fine. Just answer all his questions, be as truthful as possible, and it'll be over sooner than you think."

"Wait! You're leaving?" Sarah held onto his arm.

"I have to. I've got a job to do. And a General waiting." He grinned, shooting a wink at his teammates. "First rule of working in a military setting: never keep a General waiting." He leaned in and gave Sarah a quick kiss on the cheek. "When you're brought to the Mountain, I'll probably be there." He held out a tentative hand to Steven. "Good luck."

Slowly reaching out, Steven accepted the handshake. "Thanks. I still don't know if I believe you or that any of this is worth it, but…"

Daniel nodded, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "I won't make promises or guarantees because, frankly, my work is far too unstable and uncertain for that. But…I honestly believe you'll agree how important it is, once you know."

"That's fair." Steven allowed.

"If you'll follow me, Doctors?" Woolsey motioned them to come with him. They left, and Daniel watched them go with a sigh of relief.

"Daniel? You okay?" Sam dropped a hand on his shoulder and squeezed in concern.

"Yeah. I'm fine, Sam. Just…hoping that by bringing them in, I won't be getting them killed."

Sam looked in the direction they'd gone. "You've warned them, and Sarah has a pretty good idea already how dangerous it could be. And no doubt Woolsey will do a thorough job of listing off all the dangers before they sign anything. If they decide to join after that, then…"

"Then it's their choices," Mitchell drawled seriously, "And anything that happens to them on the job after that will not be _your_ fault, Daniel." Two years with SG1 and he'd gotten to know Daniel's penchant for guilt quite well. "Now, let's go. There's a General waiting, and like the man said, we don't want to do that!"


	2. Part II

_Disclaimer_: Kali & Muses do not own Stargate; we just borrowed it for this fanfiction.  
_Warnings_: slash in the form of Jack/Daniel

_Big thanks to my new beta, Cryysis!_

**~ Part II ~**

**Chapter I**

{Jack}  
_Tuesday Evening:_

Slipping out of the jacket of his Class As with great relief, Major General Jack O'Neill tossed the thing across the back of a leather armchair sitting in the corner of his office and reached up to loosen his tie. It was nearly 1700 hours and he'd been in a very long, tedious, pointless meeting with some Pentagon officials and the Appropriations Committee since 1000 hours that morning. Jack had been at work since 0630 hours. In other words, he was dead tired, hungry, and supremely annoyed at the wasting of his time that these politicians, bean-counters, and pencil-pushers all seemed to agree on.

Not for the millionth time, Jack groaned wearily and sank down into his office chair asking himself why, oh why did he let Hammond talk him into taking over this horrendous position as Head of Homeworld Security? Closing his eyes, he scrubbed his hands over his face and growled at himself.

_Because you're a coward when it comes to some things, O'Neill, and it was easier to run away than to face yourself and __**him**__._

He opened his eyes and picked up a framed photograph that sat on his desk, staring at it with a mixture of fond affection, pride, regret, sadness, and deep, deep loneliness. It was a rare team photo of SG1, including Hammond, Janet Fraiser, Jacob Carter, Bra'tac, and Cassandra Fraiser – taken by Lou Ferretti at one of the last BBQs Jack had hosted before Janet died, and the first BBQ Bra'tac had been on earth in time to attend. Even though Lou had retired, he was still part of the 'family' and Jack kept in touch with him to keep him up to date on its members.

While the mix of emotions revolved around everyone in the picture, there was one figure in particular that Jack's eyes lingered on. Dr. Daniel Jackson – a triple PhD who came along when Jack needed someone most (as unlikely a someone as Jack or anyone else would have thought he needed) and became the most important person in the universe to him. They were best friends who could bicker like an old married couple or a pair of eight-year-olds, protect each other whether either of them liked it or not, and laugh or cry together – whatever the situation demanded. And yet Jack had taken for granted Daniel's personality and infinite capacity for forgiveness, had let this precious friendship slide to the back burner and finally off the stove completely. By the time he realized what he'd done, what he'd lost, Daniel was lying in a radiation-induced coma, dying in one of the most horrible, painful ways Jack had ever witnessed. And then Daniel Ascended, was gone for an entire year, leaving Jack to try and carry on the fight as he knew Daniel would want him to, trying to keep SG1 and the planet from falling apart without their guiding light – their conscience.

Then came the fateful mission to Vis Uban after Jonas Quinn deciphered the Ancient tablet from the hidden treasure room in the pyramid on Abydos. Maybe it wasn't the Lost City after all, but to Jack they'd found something infinitely more important, infinitely more special than Atlantis. They found Daniel – a whole, healthy, _corporeal_ and so beautiful Daniel in his flowing robes of blue. Okay, so he didn't know any of them or even himself, but at the core he was still there, and Jack couldn't ask for anything more.

Yet the following year Jack had held back, even though Daniel needed his friends, his _family_, more than ever. It was a hard year for everyone. On top of the usual crisis, Daniel struggled with regaining memories, trying to fit back into a team that nearly shut him out completely before his Ascension, near-death experiences that for once Daniel hadn't gone looking for, the loss of a dear and much-loved friend, and the constant upheavals at the SGC caused by Senator-cum-Vice President Kinsey and his NID cronies. Jack had held himself back out of fear. He'd gone through the pain of losing Daniel once, and he had no wish to do it again. So he'd kept to himself, not letting the linguist get as close as he once was – and if Daniel noticed, or remembered what it was like before, he never let on. Oh sure, they were friends again, but hockey nights, chess matches, Jell-O-wrestling nights out with Teal'c, and the deep, meaningful conversations they'd once shared were long gone. Maybe their friendship hadn't regained its former glory, but at least they fell back into the work-roles easily and comfortably. On that front, in fact, their relationship actually improved and settled somewhat from the past's philosophical differences.

Leaning back in his seat, Jack gently set the picture down, still staring at Daniel's happy face. Why had he let himself runaway from the best thing to happen to him since Charlie? He'd never let fear dictate his actions before. He was _so_ afraid to get close to Daniel again, afraid to _lose_ him again, and so had distanced himself and not let himself trust Daniel quite as he had before because of his fear and because he knew that Daniel Jackson would throw himself through another glass window and expose himself to a mortal dose of radiation all over again if it meant saving people. Jack didn't want to deal with it again – didn't think he could. And how does one explain that to someone like Daniel and hope to get a promise that he'd never do it again? One couldn't, and honestly, Jack would never ask that of Daniel because it would detract from Daniel's essence…his very soul.

With the hiding and running away, Jack had also done Samantha Carter a real disservice. Sure, he'd genuinely cared for her, even lusted (a little) after her, but he never _really_ considered a relationship, and he never intended to follow through with any of the flirting or the ideas both he and Sam had given many at the SGC regarding their supposed 'hidden, unresolved love affair.' So after Jack spent a year as a General, watching his team (_his_, damn it!) go through the Gate time and again without him, he finally began to understand just what he'd done to the people he cared most about. It came to a head at his cabin. He finally took the bull by the horns and had a long, painful discussion with Carter about…everything. He was bowled over when Carter admitted she'd broken it off with Pete Callahan not just because of Jacob's death, but because she finally decided to do something about her feelings for Jack. In turn, Jack apologized until he was blue in the face, and told her the absolute truth: he was never going to marry again, and his heart wasn't his to give away to someone any more – not even Sam – because he gave it away to someone long ago.

"_I'm so very sorry, Carter._" Jack said yet again, feeling all of his nearly fifty years in that moment. "_We should have had this conversation a very long time ago, but I'm a coward and an asshole. Sara left me for a good reason, after all. I've got far too many issues and far too much crap to sort out in my head before I can give anything else of me to anyone – even the one who already owns my sorry excuse for a heart. I know you'll think less of me from now on, and I realize you probably won't want to work with me any longer…I understand and I want you to know I accept full responsibility for…all of this. None of this is your fault. It's all on me._"

It was one of the few times he ever saw Carter with tears in her eyes. And the shock. And the bitter anger of rejection. And, worst of all, the absolute confusion of the emotional rollercoaster of the last eight years they worked together.

"_There was never an 'us,' was there? Just in my head._" She'd asked softly, somehow no longer able to look him in the eye. "_Was I ever anything more to you than a subordinate officer and…friend?_"

"_Not as anything romantic, no._" Jack admitted in as gentle a voice as he could muster. Really all he wanted was to make friends with the remaining six-pack of Guinness in his fridge. "_You're one hell of an officer, Carter, and a wonderful woman – a wonderful human being. And as far as I'm concerned you'll always be a friend, and more, you're family. You, Teal'c, and…Daniel are my family, and I hope someday I'll be able to mend all the fences I've broken with all of you. Until then…I sincerely wish you all the best life has to offer, and I know you'll find someone who deserves you and who can make you happy._"

She sat there for a long time, the silence nearly deafening between them. Finally she wiped at her eyes, her face becoming a stone mask with eyes just as cold to match. Carter stood and nodded, almost to herself, as if she came to a decision. "_I see. Well then, there isn't anything to be said, is there? If you don't mind, I would appreciate it if you could drive me to the airport tomorrow morning, sir. I think it's best if I leave._"

So he did. At the airport, just as she was about to leap out of his rented SUV, she paused and looked at him searchingly for a moment. "_Would it be strange for me to ask who this mysterious person is, sir? Do I know them?_"

Jack had floundered miserably, looking very much like he would appreciate a full-scale Goa'uld attack right then if it meant not answering. But Fate, it seemed, hated him and he wasn't that lucky.

"_No. It's not strange._" He managed to reply. "_And…if we weren't who we are, if we weren't in the careers we chose, then I'd even tell you because I think you have every right to want to know._" Jack stared out his windshield as he spoke in a tight, rough voice. "_But that's not the case. And really…it isn't going to matter, Carter, because I'm fairly sure the person will never have me no matter what I say or do. Even if…even if society would accept us, even if we could continue our jobs and fight whatever the stars throw our way together._"

Now Jack sat in his office, remembering the harsh, almost hysterical quality to the laugh Carter had given then. And imagine his surprise at her parting words before she'd jumped out and slammed the SUV's door hard and walked away.

"_Those fences you want to mend with me are nothing compared to the ones you will have to with Daniel. I sometimes wondered about you two, but I talked myself out of it easily enough. Too easily, apparently. Janet tried to tell me, once, but I didn't want to listen. I should have. I also should have known that you and I being together would have been far too easy because you just don't work that way. The regs between you and I are a challenge, but not an insurmountable obstacle. And relationships last longer and are deeper when there's work involved._" Sam's tone turned ironic while Jack just sat there stupefied, like a statue. "_You're right, though. I deserve better. And you…_" she opened the door and slid out, her duffel bag in hand. _"…Jack O'Neill, if you don't deserve _me_ then you deserve _him_ even less, no matter how petty that makes me._" Two seconds later she was gone and Jack was wondering if he'd ever really had any clue about what he was doing.

Jack sighed and looked around his office, the place that had become his existence for two years out of duty and escaping reality. When he'd gotten back to the SGC, Sam was long gone to Area 51 to take over as the head of Research and Development, just as she'd announced at dinner the night before. After dropping Carter at the airport, Jack went back to the cabin to find Teal'c and Daniel had returned from their day-long nature walk (Daniel having wanted to go alone but Teal'c insisting he go along because he didn't like the idea of their linguist running around in the woods alone during hunting season). When Jack explained that Sam was gone, it didn't take long for Daniel and Teal'c to pack up and decide to leave, too. Jack had finished out his first week of leave at the cabin, but in a place that had once been a retreat and a place of peace and contentment for him, he found no such serenity any longer. Arriving back at the Mountain, Jack found himself packing up his stuff from Hammond's old office and making the phone call to George Hammond himself to accept the new posting to Homeworld Security – in Washington D.C.

And it was one of his most bitter regrets that he'd never even talked to either Teal'c or Daniel about it before hand. Obviously he hadn't been in his right mind at the time.

Now…in this small, sparse, yet functional office, Jack spent the last two years alone, frustrated, miserable, and anxious for every mission report, for every phone call from Hank Landry about the SGC and the people he'd left behind. He waited desperately every day for word on the well-being of his team – not that he didn't trust Mitchell to do his best as a part of SG1. And most of all, he dreaded the phone ringing to tell him that once again Daniel was hurt, sick, missing, possessed, crazy…whatever. He knew that if he lost Daniel again, this time Jack would go with him. He couldn't live in a universe without Daniel in it, so he wouldn't.

Jack came to that conclusion after the thing with Daniel going Prior. Before he could catch himself, he found himself falling back into the established treatment of distancing himself from Daniel by not trusting him, not having faith in the wisdom and abilities of someone he claimed to admire and love. And just to make it worse, he once again took Sam's opinions over Daniel's. It hadn't been Daniel's fault. He'd just done the best that he could in the situation he was in and with future events that presented themselves. But Jack was angry that he would allow himself to go Darkside and make all these clever little schemes on his own, to place himself in such danger again and again with no guarantees of the outcome. His anger got the better of his brain, and though everything seemed to work out in the end as Daniel had foreseen (to the extent that they'd used Merlin's weapon and Daniel returned to normal, safe and sound), the jury was still out on whether or not the entire ordeal had been worth it. No one knew if the Ori were gone. No one knew what happened to Adria after she Ascended. The SuperGate was still open and functional, and there were Ori ships out there with hordes of zealots and Priors-a-plenty on board still converting or destroying anyone they came across.

Where Jack would rather _be_ was out there with his team. Or if he couldn't do that, then at least be on the front lines at the SGC. Instead, he was playing at politics and fighting the fight as a pencil-pusher. Flying a desk instead of an F-302. He hated it. He wanted to go _home_. And for the last few months, since they had returned from the SuperGate with a blessedly normal Daniel and an intact 'borrowed' _Odyssey_, Jack had quietly been making plans to do exactly that.

Speaking of which…he reached out and grabbed his desk-phone, punching out a number he knew by heart. A few rings later, someone picked up and answered.

"Ferretti, it's your dime…"

"Hey, Lou. It's Jack."

"Hey! Good to hear from you, sir. How's D.C?" Jack had to smile at the genuine pleasure in Ferretti's voice. It was nice to be missed by old friends and war buddies.

"Just as boring and useless as always, Lou. How's the family?"

"Great! The wife's busy sewing Halloween costumes for each of us. She says I'm not getting out of dressing up and going out this year."

Jack chuckled. Strange though it was for a prankster like Lou, he disliked both Halloween and April Fool's day. "Aww…poor baby."

"Shut up! You don't have to clean up the toilet paper and eggs from your yard the next day!"

"Yeah, yeah."

"What can I do for you, Jack? Calling to check up on the project?" There was a hint of sly amusement in Lou's voice as he referred to the large job Jack had hired him for so affectionately.

"Yep. It's been a couple of weeks, and I'm prepared to start putting the wheels in motion around here." Jack frowned to himself, fingers tapping restlessly on his desktop. "If things go as I plan."

He couldn't see it, but on the other end of the line, Lou was grinning from ear to ear. When Jack had dropped by unexpectedly one day and made his request – and after a few beers, given Lou the reasons for it – the former USAF Major turned carpenter had eagerly agreed. Anything, he said, for Jack O'Neill and the Doc (as he fondly called Daniel). He knew _exactly_ why Jack wanted to do for Daniel what he'd asked Ferretti's help with, and before he'd met Daniel and gone on the mission of his life – not to mention the following ones he'd undertaken later with SG2 – Lou may have had a few reservations about the DADT nature of that relationship. But, as with just about everyone that encountered Daniel Jackson with his peaceful explorer routine and unique worldview, Lou Ferretti slowly changed for the better. He'd never been homophobic, exactly, but he still saw it as wrong and it made him uncomfortable to be around those who were gay or bisexual. Now, however, he'd seen and done too much, reorganized his priorities and matured in his own worldview. _Now_ he would simply be happy that two of his favourite people could finally find some well-deserved happiness in each other. And if he could help make it happen, it was a nice side-bonus.

"You'll do it. I've seen you both do the impossible. And this is far more important, right?"

"Right. Thanks, Lou." Jack couldn't help the warmth that Lou's words gave him. And he couldn't be any more grateful than he was for Lou's friendship, support, and tolerance. "Have I mentioned I owe you huge for this?"

"You don't. It isn't like I'm doing this for free, you know – though I would have if you weren't so stubborn." Lou retorted with a snort. "And before you go getting all Oprah on me, you're welcome."

It was Jack's turn to snort, though he understood what Lou was saying. "So then? How's it comin'?"

"Actually, we finished the deck, the drywall, and the crown moulding today. All that's left is paint, stain, and installing the bookcases you wanted. After that, you can move all that furniture and stuff you picked out in." Lou informed him, getting down to business. "You actually caught me on my way out. I was about to go pick up the paint and stain."

"Seriously? Wow. Lou, you're a real pal. A gem! How long until the paint's dry?" Smiling, Jack suddenly felt like maybe there was a real chance for this crazy scheme to work the way he wanted – hoped.

"If the weather holds, which it's supposed to, then a couple of days. End of the week, for sure." Lou assured, proud of his work. "Wait'll you see it, Jack. I think it's exactly what you had in mind."

"I'll hold you to it, Lou." Jack grinned. "Look, I've got to run. Barring any major end-of-the-world crisis popping up, I'll be by to see it Sunday. And…with any luck at all…"

"I'll leave a light on, sir. Take care."

"Yeah. And thanks again, Lou."

"Anything, anytime."

Jack hung up, still smiling, and rubbed his hands together gleefully. At least he had one part of his Big Plan ready. Now he had to talk to Carter and Teal'c, and to both Landry and the President. A little help from his friends, a little game of shuffle the Generals, and he'd be ready to do what he should have years ago…

Have it out with Daniel and make an offer the man couldn't refuse.

* * *

Of course, real life isn't quite as simple as we'd like it to be.

Jack was nearly done the stack of paperwork in his in-box that same evening when one of the few people he could stand here in Washington poked his head into Jack's office after a tentative knock.

"General O'Neill? Oh, good, you're still here, sir." Col. Paul Davis opened the door wider and stepped inside. "Sorry to bother you, sir. I know it's getting late."

"Davis. Come on in." Jack waved him in, signing his name with a flourish and dropping the folder in an ever increasing messy pile. "What brings you to my dungeon?"

A faint smile crossed Paul's face. He was quite aware of O'Neill's opinion of Washington, the Pentagon, and the people in it, and therefore understood the irreverent General's humour.

"Ahh…several things, sir, the first being…aide number seventeen has put in a request for immediate transfer. Already." Paul announced wryly, giving Jack a half-amused, half-exasperated look. "I'm having a very hard time finding replacements, General. There are too many scary stories flying around about working for you these days."

Rolling his eyes without any contrition whatsoever, Jack leaned back in his chair and propped his feet up on the corner of his desk. "If you want an apology, you're not getting one. It isn't my fault I'm used to a certain standard in my aide. You can blame Walter and Gilmore for that." Sighing dramatically, Jack laced his fingers behind his head. "I should have commandeered Walter when I had the chance. Now he's too invaluable to Landry."

Paul sighed, too. "Well, I'm afraid that until I find someone, you're going to be stuck with me." He didn't add that it was the other way around, really, or that he'd much rather be working for the IOA.

Jack knew it anyway, and beamed at him. "Good! Someone who knows what they're doing! Welcome aboard, Davis."

"Thank you, sir." Paul replied weakly.

Ignoring that topic, Jack gestured for Davis to continue. "And…"

"I stopped by the AC offices and I heard a rumour that they've agreed to let the budget for the SGC and Antarctic site stand for another six months. I imagine that official word will come down first thing in the morning."

"Ha. Such a waste of time. Do you know that one of these small-minded, bean-counting idiots suggested we pack up shop now that we have an Asgard outfitted _Odyssey_ to defend the planet with? Like it could defeat anything and everything." In disgust, Jack glowered and slammed a fist down on his desk. "I hate it when people don't _listen_! So what if we have everything the Asgard had? Against the Ori, it's an improvement to our chances, but it by no means assures us victory!"

Paul just nodded his agreement and moved on. "I also made the request for a personal audience with President Hayes that you asked your former aide to make this morning. He's invited you to dinner at the White House on Thursday evening."

Jack sat up abruptly, letting his feet drop back to the floor noisily. "Uh, wow. Okay. I wasn't fishing for a dinner invite just a few minutes of conversation. But if that's what the Man wants…"

"I'll let his secretary know you accepted."

"Any news from the Mountain? I haven't gotten to my messages yet." Jack pointed at the stack in his messages box.

"Yes, sir. As a matter of fact…" Paul pulled out a folder from his briefcase and handed it over. "SG1 came home safe and sound from their last mission, as did the other teams that have been off-world recently. We have reports of three more planets under Ori dominion, though only one of those is a planet previously visited by the SGC. And the Antarctic site team is requesting some new equipment for one of the labs, and a new set of barracks to accommodate the newest wave of personnel being assigned by the IOA." Paul shivered. "It's getting crowded down there, I hear, and they want to finish excavating before the real bad weather hits."

"Oh, for cryin' out loud! It's not _us_ sending more people down there! Why do _we_ have to pay for them?" Jack scowled, but held out his hand for the requisition forms he knew Davis probably had all neatly prepared. A thick pile of paper was dropped into his hand. "Fine. I'll get to it tomorrow. Anything else?"

"No sir. I think it's time we both went home and called it a day."

Jack huffed and muttered, "Home. Soon, I really hope to be there." as he stood and prepared to stuff the last of his paperwork in a messenger bag he used instead of a suitcase.

"Sir?" Paul paused in the act of rising from his own seat in front of Jack's desk.

"What?"

"You said you hoped to be home soon? What did you mean?" Paul didn't know how, but he knew O'Neill wasn't thinking of his apartment in D.C. when he said that.

Jack slowly slipped back into his Class A jacket, debating whether or not to explain. Well, if there was anyone trustworthy in this town, it was Davis. "The truth is, Davis, you may not need that new aide for me. I'm…working on a plan to get back to what I do best and go back where I belong – the front lines." He raised his head and met Davis' surprised eyes. "You and I both know I don't belong here, playing this particular set of games. I've done my duty. I think I've earned the right to pick and choose my life as _I_ want it and not how Uncle Sam wants it."

Eyes still wide, Paul smiled and couldn't help but admire the man even more than he already did. "Yes sir. If you don't mind my asking, General, what _is_ the plan?"

"I can't say just yet, Davis, but you'll find out soon enough. Let's just say…it all depends on a certain brilliant linguist we know." Jack slung his bag over his shoulder and gave the Colonel a jaunty wave. "I'm so outta here. See you at 0700, Davis." With that, Jack waltzed out, leaving a suspicious but intrigued Paul Davis behind.

* * *

_Wednesday Morning:_

General O'Neill had barely just sat down at his desk the next morning when Davis bustled in and laid a stack of file folders on his in-tray.

"Oh for…what now? This is ridiculous! I'm a damn General not a bureaucrat!" Jack groused, eyeing the files with annoyance.

"This is the result of all the back-logged paperwork, sir, since your aides keep coming and going. I went through and culled out the truly urgent stuff, General. The rest I can probably deal with myself once you've looked it over and approved." Paul rubbed the back of his neck, and Jack eyed him. He looked tired and slightly stressed.

"You got how much sleep last night, Davis?"

"Enough, sir. Honest! I just came in around 0500 this morning to go through the backlog, and I really need some coffee."

"Help yourself." Jack waved toward the nice coffeemaker sitting on a low bank of cupboards and file drawers. He pulled off the first file and flipped it open disinterestedly. "And may I say it's no wonder you and Daniel get along so well."

Gratefully, Paul helped himself to the coffee already brewing.

"Dr. Jackson's not a morning person?" Paul asked curiously. "I hadn't noticed."

"For the very few number of times you've been exposed to Daniel in the early morning, no, you probably wouldn't." Jack replied absently, his attention on reading the report in front of himself. At which point his phone rang shrilly.

"Unless it's Landry or the President, I don't want to talk to them."

Paul nodded and reached for the phone to answer it himself. "General O'Neill's office." He handed over the receiver. "It's General Landry, sir."

A little surprised but happy to be distracted, Jack eagerly greeted his fellow General. "Hank! Great timing! Please tell me there's some urgent crisis that's requiring my personal attention at the SGC…"

"Ha! Sorry, Jack. Can't help you on that one. I do however have news for you."

"Damn. You're supposed to rescue me from this paperwork." Jack whined. Davis nearly dropped his coffee cup. Generals don't normally whine after all. "What's up?"

"You know a Dr. Sarah Gardner?"

"Not very well. We met briefly after the whole Osiris thing. Why? Don't tell me she got herself snaked again."

"No, no, nothing like that. No, Dr. Jackson received a communication from her warning him of an exhibit their former colleague, Dr. Steven Rayner, is putting on at some museum in New York City, starting on Friday. Apparently Rayner may have discovered some alien something-or-other on a dig he was recently on in Southern France, and intends to not only display what he's got but also give some kind of lecture."

"Rayner? Wait, didn't we muzzle that guy a long time ago? After the Egypt thing?"

"Well…yes and no. We fed him a cover story – which he bought – and he signed some disclosure agreements, but none that would really prevent him from revealing artefacts he legitimately discovered on a legitimate dig."

"Damn. I take it the kids are off to nip that in the bud?"

"Yeah. They depart at 0930, and then they have some organizing and such to do when they get there. Dr. Jackson suggests they go in Thursday to do a thorough search, and then get whatever data that was collected from the dig team and Dr. Rayner."

Jack ran a hand through his hair. "I'll send a team of SFs to meet them when their flight lands. They'll need them to secure the place, I suppose." Jack glanced at Paul, who was making a quick memo of that on a note pad. "Which museum?"

"Uh…New York Museum of Art." Flipping pages could be heard from Landry's end of the lines. "Why?"

Jack closed his eyes briefly and sighed. "Great. It's where Daniel's parents died, Hank. He witnessed it. He was only five or six years old." Paul's head shot up and he threw a concerned look at the General. "I think he'll be fine. He made it through the Gamekeeper's macabre game, after all."

"I think I remember reading that one. Well, Carter and Teal'c should be able to keep an eye on our linguist just fine."

"Yeah." Jack hoped so. He hoped they remembered what the place was to Daniel. "Anyway, keep me updated, Hank." He could remember the expression in Daniel's face then, too, and it had nearly broken his heart.

"Will do. Oh, was that Davis who answered earlier?"

"Yes." Jack answered cautiously to the tone in Landry's voice.

"Lost another one, huh?"

"Shut up, Hank. You're spoiled with Walter." Jack scowled. Paul ducked his head, trying not to grin.

Laughter poured down the line. "True, true. I've gotta go, Jack. Got a mission briefing with SG22."

"Fine. Oh, I have something else to talk to you about, but it can't wait. Enjoy your briefing!" Jack hung up before Landry could reply at all.

"Situation, sir?" Paul inquired.

"Apparently. More details to come, I hope. In the meantime, find an SF team with nothing better to do and have them ready to go to New York City to assist SG1 tomorrow. And if you would, do a little digging and find out what this exhibit's all about at the New York Museum of Art."

"Yes, sir. Will we need cover stories or spin?"

Jack made a face. "Oh, probably. Though I imagine when Woolsey and the IOA folks hear about this they'll trot out their lawyers and kill a few forests for the necessary forms."

"I'll do what I can to get our people in on that, General." Paul assured him.

"Thanks, Davis."

* * *

_Thursday:_

Jack spent the hours of his day on paperwork and two short meetings with some Pentagon suits about budgets and recruitment efforts for the SGC from various prime military academies across the country. He was in one of those meetings when Landry had last checked in with an update on SG1's trip to New York, and so only heard about it much later from Davis.

"It was a compromise, General. A necessary one." Paul insisted, doing his best to explain to Jack why Woolsey was even in New York City making life difficult for his team. "To get our USAF JAGs there to debrief and spin this, I had to agree to Woolsey going along to handle the two Doctors and their debriefings. Especially once Dr. Jackson requested bringing them into the programme."

"And oh _my_, Dannyboy, we are _so_ going to be having a little chat about that." Jack muttered under his breath, fingers tapping restlessly on his desktop. "But there were no problems with the alien stuff? Nothing to get excited about?"

"No, sir. They were packing things up for _Odyssey_ to beam aboard last I heard." Paul hesitated. "Dr. Jackson did make one other suggestion, however, and General Landry seemed to think it was worthy enough to mention."

Jack raised an eyebrow. "Of course he did. What great scheme has our brilliant academic come up with?"

"An Earth-side archaeological SG team, sir. And, if I may offer my opinion?" Jack nodded. "The reasoning behind his idea is valid, sir. There have been enough discoveries here at home to warrant having our own specialists to deal with anything new." Paul pulled out a memo he'd sketched out details on and handed it to Jack. "Out of curiosity, I did a little research. I've listed the countries where something has been found or happened, what was found and/or the events surrounding it, the resources that were tasked to handle the discoveries if there were any, etc. Now, obviously, SG1 dealt with many of these personally, especially the more dangerous ones – which is fine, and probably best in any case. However, there were times were teams had to be brought in after the fact to deal with documentation, clean-up, further study, etc."

"You mean like the more recent thing in England?" Jack queried, studying the list. "I see what you're getting at – more, I'm seeing what Daniel is getting at. He's not talking about huge discoveries like in Antarctica, though. Just the smaller stuff."

"Yes, sir." Paul agreed.

"So…what? Am I expected to do something to help this along?" Jack dropped the list on his desk and picked up a pen, toying with it. "Because if Daniel thinks we need this new special team, then I'm all for it."

Paul had to smile. He was one of few people who had worked with SG1 enough over the years to have gained a clear understanding of the bonds and trust that made the team so successful and tight-knit. "I don't know yet, actually. General Landry was going to think about it some more before he brought it up with the IOA. He wasn't entirely sure they'd agree to the expense of a new team – one that would cost a significant amount more than your usual team."

Jack made a face. "Penny-pinchers. They're not contributing anything _like_ what _we_ spend on all this. Yet they're always demanding more control and more say in what we do or how we do it! Russia…can get away with it. But the others? Bah."

"It's the game, General. Diplomacy is always tricky, and rarely fair."

"Yadda. Which is why I don't belong here." Jack glanced at the clock on one wall. "I need to go home and change. Is there a car and driven around or am I cabbing it to the White House?"

Paul looked mildly horrified at that idea. "Neither, sir. President Hayes is sending a car to pick you up from your apartment at 1800 hours."

"Ah." Looking a tad uncomfortable at the apparent merit he was being shown by their Commander-In-Chief, Jack pushed away from his desk and stood up. "I'd better go now then, or I'll never be ready on time." It was only 1630 hours but by the time he got back, showered, and changed, it would be nearly time to go.

"I can drive you home myself, General. I need to go to the USAF offices to pick up a few things, so it's not out of my way." Paul offered.

"Thanks. I appreciate it." Jack accepted gratefully, for once having not to ride around with no one to talk to.

* * *

Jack followed the Secret Service agent that had admitted him to the White House through its historic halls. He was dressed in his civies rather than his Dress Blues, seeing as this wasn't an 'official' audience, but he was still dressed up as classy as he could be. A rarely worn pair of black chinos for pants, a black, long-sleeved turtleneck shirt, and his most comfortable pair of dress shoes was what he'd come up with from his closet. He carried his old leather bomber jacket over one arm as he walked, working very hard not to turn around and run away out of sheer nervousness – which made him thoroughly disgusted with himself.

This SS man stopped at a set of double doors and knocked, opening it and ushering Jack inside. "General O'Neill, Mr. President." He announced as Jack strode past. "Good evening, sirs."

"Jack! Welcome." The President of the USA greeted the General warmly from where he stood at the fireplace of what Jack took to be a parlour or sitting room. "Come on in and make yourself at home! What are you drinking tonight?"

Somewhat stiffly (out of his discomfort and uncertainty about the etiquette of the situation), Jack took a seat in the armchair Hayes gestured to, his back ramrod straight as he sat at attention. "Thank you, sir. A Guinness, if you happen to have any." He figured he could nurse the thing all evening and gain a little courage in the process.

"Coming right up." Hayes smiled, noting the unease in the man and the formality practically oozing out of him. He went over to the sideboard and opened up what turned out to be a cleverly disguised mini-fridge and pulled out a bottle. He handed it to Jack and picked up his own tumbler of whiskey before sitting down himself. "Sorry about that being in the fridge. I'm afraid whomever on staff brought it doesn't know better."

"That's okay, sir. This is fine." Jack, with the practiced movements of a Guinness fan, opened the bottle and sipped it cautiously, expecting the coolness of the ale. "And thank you for the dinner invite, Mr. President. I really wasn't expecting it, just a few minutes of your time…"

"Oh, I'll admit I had selfish reasons for it." Hayes laughed. "The wife's at some charity function or other, and I hate eating alone. Besides, this was the perfect opportunity for me to get to talk to the infamous General O'Neill, formerly of SG1 fame, about all his adventures around the galaxy!" Hayes winked at a faintly bemused Jack. "Reading the mission reports is all well and good, but to hear it from the man, himself, is a real treat."

"I suppose so, sir. Though there are plenty of those times I'd rather have read about than experienced." Jack replied quietly. Not every mission could perfectly after all, and often didn't.

"No. You're quite right about that. Can't blame you for it, either." Hayes agreed sympathetically. "You've done some crazy, amazing things, Jack, and you've experienced some real horrors, too. I'm just grateful we have such strong, intelligent men and women like you out there taking care of the rest of us."

Jack was glad for the turtleneck because he could feel the heat of a flush creeping up his neck. "So am I, sir. I'm very proud of my kids – and everyone else at the SGC I've worked with over the years."

Hayes chuckled at Jack's description of his former team. "You should be, Jack. No matter what should happen in the future, you all have nothing to be ashamed of or to regret. I'm really hoping America gives me another term in office so that I can keep on reading mission reports." It was an election year, after all.

"You've got my vote, sir." Jack felt compelled to assure the man – who just laughed.

"Thanks. I'm glad to know someone thinks I'm doing alright." Hayes took a sip of his whiskey. "Dinner should be ready soon, I imagine. In the meantime, tell me what's going on lately in the galaxy."

Beginning to relax somewhat, Jack sank back into his seat a little more comfortably. "Still no word on the success or failure of Merlin's weapon, though no new Ori ships have come through the SuperGate since we sent it through." Jack went on, describing the latest intel on Ori-dominated planets and ship sightings. "This is really, really difficult war to fight, sir. We have tactics that are successful – against single Priors or ships – but nothing that can be called an advantage. Not yet, at least."

"Which is why it's important for us to keep exploring and making new friends." Hayes mused, listening to Jack's unintentionally militaristic report of things. "Even though we've got everything the Asgard had, from what I've read so far, it's still not quite enough."

"No, sir. Not quite. Maybe that will change once we have more than just _Odyssey_ kitted out with Asgard tech; I don't know." Jack ran a hand through his hair. "All we know for sure is that the Ascended won't do a thing to help out."

"It's difficult all around. We, here on Earth, already know what extremes fanatical religious fervour can drive people to. I've wondered, since this Ori threat began, if maybe we _should_ expose the programme and the reality we face, if for no other reason than to prepare our people for the possibility of a Prior and a ship coming here. 'Forewarned is forearmed,' and all that." Hayes expression was conflicted and thoughtful. "On the other hand, dealing with the fallout of such information is a whole lot of trouble none of the nations' leaders who already know are prepared for."

"Reality will rock a whole lot of boats – worse yet, capsize them. It's not just the 'aliens are real' aspect of it, or the fact that descendants of our ancestors are scattered all over the universe. It's going to shake the foundations of a lot of people's beliefs and traditional values. Like you said, religion can do strange things to people and there are some things we've learned out there that are going to step on some religions' structures and systems of belief if not outright destroying them." Jack really hoped he wasn't around to see that day. He already knew how dangerous people got and humanity's lack of maturity when it came to things like religious tolerance. He'd seen enough of it, and he never wanted to see any more of it.

"Well." Hayes sighed, deciding a change of subject was needed. "I don't think I'll be calling a press conference anytime soon, anyway. So how are Mitchell and Landry doing? I've gotten the impression that they're settling into their new posts."

Jack smiled. "They have. I knew Hank was what the SGC needed when I picked him. And Mitchell…well, he needed a bit more time, especially once he got my kids back together and all." Jack took a swig of Guinness, guiltily remembering how much of that was his fault." He just needed to find his place on the team. Build some trust and respect in the field.

"Good, good. And what are they up to these days?"

Ah. Now here was an opportunity if Jack ever heard one. He told the President all about the little excursion to NYC and the apparent discoveries that Rayner and his team had made in France. "Daniel's requested that Dr. Gardner and Dr. Rayner be recruited to the programme, sir, which I don't see a problem with if they pass all the requirements. But I found out earlier today that Daniel also had another idea that, after some thought, I have the full intention of backing."

Intrigued, Hayes leaned forward. "Really? Do tell."

Jack explained it just as Davis had done for him. At the end, however, he added, "I'm more inclined to accept it because if there's anyone who knows what's good for the SGC, the programme in general, and the planet it's Daniel. I trust his judgment."

"As do I. Now that he's brought it to our attention, though, I have to wonder why he didn't sooner." Hayes shook his head. "It's a legitimate, reasonable idea."

Jack fiddled with his battle, sighing deeply. "It's Daniel, sir. He's brilliant, he's brave, he's compassionate, and he's great with people…but he's not so great with himself. He's gotten better since I first met him, but he's still a long way from having the kind of self-confidence I'd most like to see in him."

"Dr. Jackson?" Hayes tone was incredulous and almost shocked. "After everything he's done and been through?"

"I know. He doesn't like being in the spotlight at all. He's annoyingly humble, sometimes; the man won't accept praise or credit when he's due. He still doesn't understand that when he talks, we're _listening_, that we actually value not just his opinion or his work but _him_. It's…Daniel, sir." Jack shrugged, smiling with fond exasperation despite himself. "It's the way he is. And in this case, he probably didn't bring it up sooner because he didn't think he'd be able to convince anyone that _could_ make it happen _actually_ happen."

Amazed, the President sat back in his chair. "We'll just have to work on that, won't we?"

"I'm trying, sir. Have been for years – though I admit there were…_incidents_ in which I'm guilty of causing setbacks to that progress." Jack hung his head, for all the world looking like a bad little boy being scolded. "I've never been very good at…interpersonal communication. I always manage to say the wrong things at the wrong time."

"You and Dr. Jackson are good friends, then. I got that impression from everything I'd heard about the both of you from General Hammond when I first came to office." Hayes grinned at Jack's sheepish yet proud expression. "I've known George a long time, and his opinion was always valuable to me on anything I asked him about. His confidence in all of SG1, but particularly yourself and Dr. Jackson, admittedly biased me in your favour whenever things got…sticky."

"And we've always appreciated it, sir. Your support means a great deal to all of us in the programme."

A staff person interrupted them just then. "Mr. President, dinner is served."

"Perfect! I was beginning to consider ordering out for pizza." Hayes stood up and motioned for Jack to follow along. "I hope you're hungry, Jack. Whenever they hire chefs to work here, they really know how to pick 'em."

"I could eat." Jack replied happily at the prospect of a real meal that wasn't take-out, delivery, or whatever he could toss together for himself with the least amount of time or effort from his typically under-stocked cupboards and fridge.

* * *

Dinner was lavish, and plentiful, and Jack enjoyed it immensely. Conversation turned away from serious galactic affairs toward light, serious topics like TV shows (Hayes admitted to watching _Wormhole Extreme_ whenever possible) and hockey. As the meal wore on, Jack found himself relaxing much more completely. He was pleasantly surprised to learn so much about this man who was – for all intents and purposes – the most powerful person on the planet. Hayes was a very down-to-Earth, clever, and humanistic soul, with faults and foibles just like everyone else. But he was also personable – not in the typical charismatic way of most politicians, but that if they had met in other circumstances as other people and not as General and Commander-in-Chief, then Jack was sure they'd have been good buddies.

Once they'd stuffed themselves silly and exhausted the small talk topics they'd discussed already, Hayes led his guest back to the sitting room for an after-dinner drink. "Another Guinness, Jack? Or something stronger?"

"Please. A whiskey would be perfect, sir." Jack took the same seat he'd been in before and this time he nearly sprawled out in the armchair. Hayes handed him a tumbler and sat down himself with a satisfied sigh.

"Ah…sometimes I wish I had more evenings like this where I can just enjoy a good meal, some excellent conversation about nothing of dire consequence, and good company." Hayes saluted Jack with his own glass of whiskey, who returned the salute with the utmost seriousness.

"Amen and _slaïnte_."

"Unfortunately…our jobs don't allow us much time for leisure." Hayes sighed again and gave Jack an apologetic glance. "So I guess this would be where I ask why you requested a personal meeting."

Jack nodded with equal regret, and straightened himself up a bit from his lazy sprawl. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, egg-shaped stone with a flat base that had runes carved all along the base. "Yes, sir. I suppose it's time for that. And I hope you'll allow me to use this little gift my good buddy Thor whipped up for me some time ago so that this conversation really does remain between you and I."

Intrigued by the request (and fascinated by the device), Hayes asked, "What does it do?"

"Basically, sir, it's a bug-jammer. When I turn it on, it does several different things, but the one I would use in this case is to block all sound from within the field it generates so that anyone outside the field can't listen in." Jack explained. He'd have used its full-capabilities to block any other surveillance – including video – but he doubted anyone would go for that. Blinding _and_ deafening the Secret Service when one was alone with the President was a good way to freak them out and drive them crazy – and have them running into the room guns-a-blazing.

"You know, it never ceases to amaze me what the Asgard were capable of." Hayes studied the device curiously. "I don't mind if you use it, Jack, though I assure you that the only surveillance in this room is the one video camera that faces both doors." Hayes pointed up to one corner of the room where, if one looked closely enough, one could see the tiny glint of a camera lens hidden at the joining point of the crown moulding and the ceiling. "And there's no sound. It's minimal to provide enough security but also to allow the President and his family as much privacy as possible."

"Yes, sir. That's partly why I made it a personal request and not a very public, official one." Jack admitted, turning the little deceive on anyway and setting it on the side table next to his chair. "You see…what I have to say violates a couple of regulations, and that alone could mean career end or worse – court-martial. And just the information alone could be used against me by people who'd _love_ to see me go down." Jack's expression became grim and perfectly serious. "I've made many, many enemies, sir, right here at home."

"Now I'm worried." Hayes declared in concern. "I honestly believed it would be something less grave, like retirement or a request for personal leave or something." Thoughts racing, an idea occurred to him. "Our former, now deceased Vice President Kinsey once made serious suggestive innuendoes about yourself and then-Major Samantha Carter, Jack. Hammond effectively eased everyone's minds about that, but…don't tell me it's true."

Jack had the grace to wince, but he shook his head in denial. "No, sir. It was not true then, or earlier than then, since then, or now. And it never will be. There were…possibilities, I admit. Temptations, even – for both Carter and I. But we never once acted on any of it, and I never intended to." Jack took a healthy swig of whiskey, letting the burn of the alcohol to his stomach shut out some of his antsy nerves that were beginning to make a reappearance at what he was about to do. "I can assure you that Carter and I have sorted all that out and reached an understanding. And someday she may even find a way to forgive me."

"Alright. That's good enough for me, even if I don't know all the details." Hayes allowed, frankly not wanting to know. "So what is it then?"

Jack's fingers began to tap-dance on his thigh nervously. "Sir…I'm asking you to forget, for just a moment, that I'm a USAF General, and that you're my Commander. This…is from one guy to another. One _human being_ to another."

Hayes blinked, took his own healthy swig of whiskey, and set his glass down. "Okay. Hit me with it, Jack. The suspense is killing me."

After a deep breath, Jack blurted, "Do you believe in soul mates, sir?"

The non-sequitur nearly knocked Hayes over, though he recovered quickly enough. "Well…yes. I suppose so." He answered, confusion colouring his voice.

"You see, Daniel told me this story once. It was a long time ago, and I admit that I rarely pay attention when he starts going off on a tangent about myths and history and cultures and all that stuff. But this one I did listen to because…it was just after Sha're – his wife from Abydos – died, and he really needed someone to talk to. He was trying to explain – not to me, even, but to himself – how he could have loved her so much even though he'd had barely a year with her, and how, though he was devastated and grieving, he was able to keep going. Not just with life, but to keep going through the Gate and continuing what he'd started." Jack paused, remembering the weekend Daniel had spent at Jack's after that horrible mission and its results. He'd felt very much a failure to his friend, and Daniel had needed the comfort of another's presence – someone who would not only listen but not judge him for anything he said or did in his grief. So Jack did what he could: he listened, he shared his memories of Abydos and Sha're, he got drunk with Daniel, poured a thoroughly soused Daniel into his guest bed, nursed the hung-over Daniel the morning after, let him rant and rave and scream at the injustice and cruelty of it all, held him when the tears finally came in torrents, and finally pestered Daniel in every way he could until Daniel was able to smile again. To laugh. Then Jack had known for certain the man would be able to move on, eventually, and live.

"What story did he tell you?" Hayes prompted quietly when Jack's silence wore on.

"I guess it's something from the Greeks. That Plato guy, I think." Jack pulled himself into the present. "It was this conversation about love between a bunch of famous Greek guys who were all sitting around getting drunk and…whatever they did back then." Jack waved it away. "Anyway, the one guy in the story told the others this legend he'd learned about how Zeus created humans and why there were three different ways to love. I don't remember _exactly_ how it goes, but the gist is that the gods created the first version of human beings and these creatures were very much like the gods themselves, except they each had two sets of everything – like four arms, legs, eyes, etc. Ah…these beings did something that angered Zeus and he threw lightning bolts at them, splitting each being down the middle into two separate beings as punishment."

"Which is what we are today." Hayes guessed.

"Exactly. Now the guy in the story explained that when Zeus split these people, he split their souls, too. So out there somewhere, a person could find the other half of their soul. But the thing is – the original version was genderless. When it split, it split into either a man and a woman, a man and a man, or a woman and a woman." Jack gave a wry chuckle. "The Greeks' way of explaining homosexuality, I guess. Daniel said that if a person was bisexual then they were already whole – meaning they'd already been reunited at some point with their soul mates in the past and were now free to love wherever."

"Huh. Fascinating. The Greeks tried to think up explanations for everything, didn't they?" The other man mused. "And how did this help Dr. Jackson?"

"Oh…this guy in the story claimed when one found their soul mate, they'd find their perfect lover, since obviously they're your other half and would know you best, I guess. Daniel…he loved Sha're. Adored her. Worshipped the ground she walked on." Jack hesitated, not sure if he should be telling anyone else this deepest, private secret of Daniel's. "Well, I'll just say that even though he really loved her, and the sex was good – apparently – he always felt there was something big missing. I guess he felt guilty for even thinking that, and he was trying to justify it to himself and Sha're's memory."

"Ah. He didn't think she was his soul mate." Hayes guessed again in understanding.

"Yeah. That's pretty much it."

"And how does this relate to you, Jack? You believe you've found your soul mate? Someone under your command?" Hayes was beginning to get the picture, but he wanted to ease Jack through the telling of it. After all, it couldn't be easy to be where Jack was now, telling him what he was. And love…was a precious thing not to be taken lightly nor dismissed easily.

"Because…I have found my soul mate. And there was a time when I didn't really believe in that sort of thing. I'm…I _was_ too cynical, world-weary, and jaded to believe in such a romanticized ideal like that. But…I'm wiser now." Jack smiled faintly at himself. "Thank Daniel for that. He makes you look at everything in new ways. Better ones, if you want to know the truth."

Hayes tilted his head, studying the man across from him in silence. There was a softness in Jack that had become much more apparent as soon as he'd started talking about Daniel Jackson. There was a healthy dose of respect, admiration, and even awe there. But what practically radiated from this hardened, paranoid (albeit with good reason), world-weary soldier was something that Hayes could only describe as love. The real, forever kind that, these days, was all too rare and that people seemed to forget existed. Hayes knew, even if he was at all conservative and bigoted like so many others in the world still were, that in the face of this pure emotion he could do no less than try to help the man achieve it. Thankfully, Hayes didn't care what persuasion a person favoured. In the end it really didn't matter, after all. And in cases like this, it wasn't about gender; it was about love – pure and simple, no more or less.

Jack polished off his whiskey. "Sir…I was married. I had a son. You probably know that from my records." Hayes nodded. "But as much as I loved my wife, Sara…when Charlie died…I had my confirmation that we weren't soul mates. If we were I really believe we would have made it through together. And truthfully, we'd been having problems long before that. That first mission to Abydos…I was ready to pack it in. I accepted the assignment because at least if I died that way, it would mean _something_. If I'd gone the way I was intending to before General West's people came for me, well…I'd just be a statistic, and how could I ever face my kid again?" Jack shook his head at himself. That all seemed so long ago now. "But then I met this guy – a geek by any other name. Disliked him on sight, even more so when he started talking.

"There was something very different about him, though. He was so unlike any person I'd ever met before. He refused to be intimidated by anyone, especially not me. And we military boys were awfully hard on the kid, then. He was so passionate about everything. I wondered where he was finding the energy for it." Jack shook his head ruefully. That part of Daniel hadn't changed much. "Especially for someone who lived off coffee and chocolate. He tried so hard to please, but if he came up short he didn't let it faze him – he just worked harder. Abydos wasn't as foreign as you'd think, despite being light-years from Earth, and its people…they still are the best people I've met. Friendly, hospitable, generous, and strong. And forgiving. I don't know how he does it, but this guy was able to ingratiate not just himself, but the rest of the team into their good graces." Jack laughed. "He got himself married without knowing it until much later, but hey. It worked out in the end." The General sobered. "Then Ra came. My team and I were captured. By this time, Daniel could speak Abydonian perfectly, and because he wore that pendant of Catherine's, Ra…" Jack swallowed hard. Daniel had changed Jack's life in that moment, with one simple, heroic act. "We were brought before the guy. His host was barely an adult. I tried some foolish last attempt to take the guy out, believing we were going to die anyway. There were a few minutes of chaos, and suddenly one of Ra's Jaffa was turning his staff weapon on me. Daniel was frantically trying to calm the situation down when the Jaffa shot at me. The idiot dove in front of me, taking the full blast in the gut. Instant death. I couldn't believe he'd do that, for me, someone he hardly knew and someone not worth his life."

Hayes smiled gently. Of course he'd read the mission reports, but it was highly enlightening to hear Jack speak of it directly from memory, so very openly. "He obviously saw something worth saving in you."

Jack glanced up, giving a harrumph of disbelief. "Nah. It's just what he does. He's like the Nox that way. He values life above nearly everything else. He didn't know enough about me yet to know if I was truly a good guy or a bad guy. But he still died for me, and something about that gave me the swift kick in the ass I needed to begin re-evaluating my life and my fatalistic desire for death. Later, after the escape with the help of Ska'ara and his friends, Daniel gave me another kick. I don't know what it is about him, but I found myself talking to him. About personal stuff and feelings. He made me realize that dying probably wasn't such a hot idea. That even though Charlie was gone and Sara probably would be if I got home, I should continue to live because life was too precious to just throw away."

"Dr. Jackson is a remarkable man."

Jack met the President's gaze unflinchingly. "Yes, he is. Is it any wonder that I went and fell for him? Over the years he's done nothing but constantly re-affirm that for me, even when I was too dumb, obstinate, and repressed to realize and accept it."

"So to recap," Hayes stood, gestured at Jack's empty glass in a silent inquiry about a refill, and took the glass over to the sideboard to do so when the General handed it to him gratefully. "You've found your soul mate in Daniel Jackson, which violates not only the non-frat regs but is also of a DADT nature. I'm happy for you, Jack. It's a fine thing that you've found someone to love so completely." Hayes came back and gave the refilled tumbler back to Jack. "And while I'm honoured that you feel I'm trustworthy enough to share all this with…I fail to understand why. I mean, why have you told _me_? What do you want to hear from me? Permission? Because I say what the hell are you still doing here talking to me about it when you should be back in the Springs waiting to welcome him home. You don't need my approval to pursue relationships."

"No, sir. That's not exactly it, though I appreciate that you…" Jack fumbled, trying to find the words that wouldn't come across as a huge insult. "…are understanding of it, where most wouldn't be. You see, I want to go back to the Springs. I want to go back, tell Daniel everything and hope that he might actually feel as I do. I have a plan for that, and that's why I'm here, sir. I…really hope you'll hear me the rest of the way out and help me – but mostly Daniel – achieve a little piece of happiness in this darkened reality we live in." Jack rubbed a palm over his knee that chose that moment to ache dully. "Of course, the entire thing hinges on Daniel, but…"

Sitting back in his seat, Hayes took a drink from his glass and smiled with earnest interest. He had no doubt that Jack O'Neill's plan would be very thorough, being the consummate strategist that he is.

"Well, then. Tell me what you've got up your sleeves and we'll see what we can do to make it happen."

* * *

**Chapter II**

{Jack}  
_Very Early Friday Morning:_

Jack walked into his Georgetown apartment well after midnight, flying high on the combination of the buzz from the fine, aged whiskey Hayes had plied him with all evening and the wild, jubilant elation that the President was on board with his plan and totally accepting of the relationship Jack was looking for with Daniel. And while, as long as he _was_ President, Hayes couldn't give them any official recognition or protection, he did promise that if it came out and Jack and Daniel were brought into any official disciplinary proceedings, he would intercede on their behalf and work from behind the scenes to get them out of it – though in that eventuality Jack already had a few ideas for a back-up escape plan.

The message light on his answering machine was blinking away, indicating he had messages. Hoping it wasn't anything too serious (though he knew if anything _had_ gone down, someone would have informed the President or called Jack on his cell), he leaned on his kitchen counter and pushed the replay button. Yawning, he ran his fingers through his hair and listened sleepily as the tape played.

"_Jack! It's your cousin, Liam! Got your number from Sara, in case you wondered. Listen, I'm getting married in two months, and you are absolutely required! I need an MC, and I've convinced my bride-to-be that there's no one better for the job. So call me back when you can at…"_ The number he rattled off went over Jack's head, but he'd get it later – like tomorrow – and write it down. "_…and let me know, huh? Take care, cousin! Later!_"

Amused and exasperated, Jack rolled his eyes. Liam O'Neill had been one of the few relatives he'd stayed in contact with after his parents passed away. He hoped he would be able to attend the guy's wedding, but of course that depended on Daniel – not to mention the Ori and all the other intergalactic troubles that were prone to pop up at the wrong time. Like the ever-prolific Ba'al clones. He sighed and went around the counter to the kitchen sink to get a glass of water while the next message played.

"_General O'Neill, this is Col. Davis. General Landry asked me to inform you that a special IOA meeting regarding Dr. Jackson's idea for a new team is being scheduled for tomorrow afternoon at 1300 hours aboard Odyssey. He requested that you call him after your meeting with the President to discuss it, whatever time that would be._" There was a pause, which had Jack raising an eyebrow at the machine, his water glass frozen in his hand halfway to his mouth. "_And sir, when were you going to mention that after this week you were going on two weeks' leave? I think we need to work on our lines of communication. Sir._"

Jack snickered, impressed that Davis found enough guts to even remotely chastise him with that sarcastic tone that would make Daniel proud. "Good man, Davis. You're learning."

The final message was from Ferretti, and Jack's mood couldn't get much happier at the moment (without Daniel himself having something to do with it).

"_Hey, Jack! The project is complete! Paint is dry, stain's looking pretty good (if I do say so myself) and there's enough bookcase space for the Doc's entire library and then some. Bills are in the mail, sir. And if you need a hand moving in, give me a shout! Actually, call anyway, 'cause I can't wait to show you around. Later!_"

"Woo hoo!" The Homer quote came out a bit louder than he'd though it would, but he was sure the walls were thick enough to prevent annoying the neighbours. The next impression was Mr. Burns all over as he rubbed his hands together gleefully and declared wickedly, "Ex-cellent!"

Picking up his receiver and glancing at the clock, he dialled the Mountain and asked for Landry. As much as he wanted to crawl into bed, he had to do this first – just in case something else went down.

"Hank. Davis left me a message telling me to call you."

"Jack." Landry sounded tired, but pleased. "You just caught me. I was about to leave. Did he tell you about the meeting tomorrow?"

"With the IOA, yeah. And I have to be there why?"

"Because the more support for Dr. Jackson's new team that is present, the better? I thought you agreed with him."

"I do. I just don't see why he wants me up there. I'm really not that useful when it comes to talking the IOA into anything. Out of things, yes. Into them, no."

"He didn't ask for you, Jack. I did. As did a few other members of the IOA; they expressed, independently of one another, a curiosity about what the Head of Homeworld Security thought of the idea." Hank informed him mildly, in the tone of a parent gently chiding their kid. "What are you whining for? It's not paperwork."

"Yadda. I'll be there. It's a good thing I'm in such a dang good mood right now."

"I take it you had a wonderful meal with the President."

"Well, yeah. And it wasn't even all that gourmet stuff you gotta dress up for. Steak, homemade pan-fries, and all kinds of other delicacies we red-blooded men crave." Jack sighed in memory. It had been a good meal. "But it wasn't just the meal that put me in a happy place."

"Oh?"

"I had a long, deep conversation with Hayes about some things, and I came out," Jack tried not to pat himself on the back too hard for the pun, not that Landry would pick up on it, "and told him about this little plan I've been working on for a couple of months. He's approved it, if I can make it work."

"Really? Well, now I'm all a-fire with curiosity. What's the plan?" On the Colorado end of the line, Hank was grinning widely at Jack's little boy excitement.

"It depends on a number of things, you see, and I've had to get all my ducks in row, so to speak, before I attempt to break it to the ultimate factor: Daniel Jackson."

A silent pause from Landry made Jack's heart skip a beat. Maybe he'd better hold back the 'soul mate, love of my existence' part of the plan for now.

"Maybe you want to clarify that a bit, Jack. I'm not entirely sure I understood what you mean."

"Yes-ss…"

"What I mean, is that my plan hinges on Daniel's forgiveness for…a whole lotta crap that's totally my fault and that I intend to own up to in the very near future. If he does forgive me and we can work out a mutually beneficial understanding, I'm hoping he'll also agree to my wild and crazy scheme that would end with us working together again." Okay, so that was all true, even though he was totally glossing over stuff. "You have to understand, Hank, that I'm not exaggerating how badly I fucked up with him. It doesn't show when we're around each other because…well, I don't know exactly. It's always been that way. We somehow still function even if we're mentally strangling each other."

"I was going to ask about that, because I hadn't noticed any overt tension."

"I think that's partially because by now, Daniel's pretty much given up on me. He's resigned to the way things ended up, so he doesn't bother wasting his time or energy being pissed with me anymore." Jack mused. He did, after all, know the man better than anyone. "Anyway, I'll burn those bridges later. At the moment, you're one of those ducks I'm trying to line up."

Amused, Hank responded mildly. "Quack?"

"Cute. No really. What's SG1's mission schedule like? Any chance you could toss some leave at them? And in Daniel's case, some extended personal leave?" Jack was really hoping the universe played along just this once – not for him, but for Daniel.

"Uh…I don't know, Jack. You know how dicey things are out there right now. And Dr. Jackson is very much our best asset in this fight." Landry hedged. "How long are you aiming at?"

"For the rest of the team – a week. Five days would be good. Enough to be a real rest for them and yet hide the fact that I'm totally behind kidnapping Daniel for much longer. For him, I want two weeks." Jack held his breath.

"_Two_ weeks? Jack…"

"I know, Hank. I do. Look, they've been hard at it for months without much of a break. And the last couple of missions have been particularly hard ones – especially for Daniel with his stint on the Darkside. You can always call us if something that important comes up, but I…Daniel and I really need to work this out. I'm going to drag him, kicking and screaming if I have to, up to the cabin for a week. The other will be less like leave and more like time off for organization, restructuring, and completely invading his life…if all goes well at the cabin."

He could almost hear Landry's brain turning over his arguments trying to find a good reason to object. "And how soon would you be wanting to do this?"

"Ah…does Monday seem unreasonable?"

Papers shuffled loudly as Hank studied the mission schedules. "I guess it's fine. Their scheduled missions for these past few days were pushed back or reassigned to other teams because of this latest thing in New York, and whatever got pushed back…"

"Can be pushed back further?" Jack finished hopefully.

"You're killing me, O'Neill."

"Is that a yes?"

"Yes."

"Thanks, Hank. Really…thanks."

"Yeah, yeah."

Jack blew out a huge breath of relief, then sucked in another in preparation for the next part. "Um…How attached are you to the SGC? As in your command?"

Now Landry's voice was heavy with suspicion. "I'm rather fond of my job, Jack. Why? Someone looking to get me discharged?"

"No. Nothing shady. This…it's part of the big picture I'm working toward." Quickly explaining exactly what he had in mind, including the game of 'musical Generals' he wanted to play, Jack outlined his plan for Landry. "After all – and let's be honest – _you_ are much better at the political games than I'll ever be, and I _know_ you'll do right by the SGC in Washington. I'm better at making command decisions, Hank. I don't belong here…I belong there, at the front lines."

Landry's wheels were turning again. "Whew. You've really thrown me for a loop, Jack. I can tell this is really what you want, otherwise you'd never have brought it up. And Hayes gave his approval for this scheme?"

"He did." Jack tried not to let his apprehension bleed into his tone. Because as much as his plan relied on Daniel's cooperation (aka capitulation), it relied just as much on Hank Landry. In a quiet (uncharacteristically so) voice, Jack admitted, "I took the promotion and posting here because I was running away from some things, and because Hammond asked. But I've done my duty, Hank, and one way or another, I'm done with this place."

"So if things don't work out?"

"I'm permanently retiring and becoming a crotchety, bitter old hermit in Minnesota."

"That's different, how?"

Jack growled out an epithet.

"Okay, okay. I get what you're saying, and I'm not disagreeing with the fact that you deserve it, Jack, after all you've done and been through." Hank sighed wearily, and Jack suddenly remembered how late it was. He'd just been so…giddy earlier he hadn't stopped to think maybe he could have brought it up tomorrow instead of at 0112 hours.

"Listen, I'll make you a deal. You give me the first week of your leave to think it over while you're off sweet-talking our linguist," Jack blinked, wondering if maybe Hank had caught on anyway, "and I'll let you know at the beginning of week two?"

"Done. That's fair. Look, I'm sorry for springing it on you like this, at this hour, Hank. I guess I was a little gung-ho from this evening, yet." Jack apologized sincerely. "I'll let you go so you can get out of there and get some sleep. I'll be seeing you tomorrow, anyway."

"Right. Almost forgot. And don't worry about it. When _is_ a good time to bring something like that up?" Hank chuckled ruefully. "Good night, General O'Neill."

"Same to you, General Landry."

* * *

{Daniel}  
_Friday, Noon:_

He managed to get in at least a few hours of sleep (after his all-night study of the obelisk and some of the other treasures they'd confiscated) before his bouncy, all-too-energetic wake-up call burst into his quarters on board _Odyssey_ just before lunch.

"Daniel! Oh Da-an-i-el! Rise and shine, my love!" Vala's cheery, accented voice jarred his consciousness into wakefulness – helped along significantly by the scent of his drug of choice, coffee. "Come now, sleepy, you asked to be woken in time to be able to have a shower and a decent meal before your big meeting, remember? And it's now…12:07 pm." She informed him, waving the large travel mug full of java near Daniel's face to try and tempt him. "Wake up, sit up, and say 'thank you, Vala,' and this mug of dark roast blue Colombian is all yours…"

After muttering several unrepeatable phrases in Abydonian, Russian, and finally Mandarin (of all things), Daniel rolled over, sat up, and blinked owlish, red-rimmed blue eyes at the woman bearing caffeine. "Thank you, Vala." He intoned with a raspy, sleep-heavy voice. "Now, gimme!" The travel mug was snatched out of her hands faster than she could say 'Merlin's treasure!'

"Tsk, tsk." Vala clucked sympathetically, running her fingers through his short, dark blonde hair fondly and massaging his scalp gently with her fingertips to soothe. "Poor Daniel. I'm sorry to pull you out of such a much-needed slumber."

He batted her hands away with one of his own (the other still clutching his coffee for dear life and sanity) and merely glared at her. She gave him a sunny smile, unfazed, and then a quick pat on the knee before standing.

"When you're ready to eat, you'll find us in the Mess just down the hall. Take your time, Daniel!" Vala blew him a kiss and left him to finish waking up.

After a few minutes more, the linguist got up, stripped, grabbed his coffee and padded into the small attached bathroom.

When he emerged twenty minutes later, damp and rosy-skinned from the hot water and still naked as the day Oma dropped him on Vis Uban (or later when he dropped himself in Jack's office), he stopped dead in his tracks and gaped in shock and embarrassment at the blurry yet unmistakeable sight of a silver-haired Major General Jack O'Neill lounging comfortably on the bed playing with a blue yo-yo.

"Danny-bo – whoa!" Jack's greeting did a nosedive (so did all the blood in his upper body, right into his pants) and he at least retained enough brain cells to hastily toss the linen drawstring pyjama bottoms on the floor at his gorgeously naked best friend. "Well, hello!"

"Jack!" The unhappy, slightly hoarse squeak of a reply made Daniel wince with mortification as he scrambled into the pants. "What the _hell_ are you doing here?"

"Uh…meeting. You know…that thingy you brought up…" Jack was resolutely staring at the wall behind Daniel so as not to stare at the temptingly toned flesh right in front of him, but his brain couldn't seem to form coherent sentences yet. "With the IOA."

"Okay…but _here_? In my quarters?" Daniel demanded, searching desperately for the clean clothes he'd planned on changing into for the meeting later. He grabbed the clean set of blue BDUs from his duffel bag, plus boxers and a black t-shirt and socks. "You could have let me know you were here before I came out of the shower!"

Jack cleared his throat, feeling somewhat back under control, and looked at Daniel's embarrassed visage with a wide smile. "When I came in – and I did knock, you know – I didn't know you were in the shower. I thought you were just…you know…using the little archaeologist's room."

Daniel shook his head and stalked back to the bathroom to get dressed. "You still could have announced yourself. Jackass."

The door slammed behind him.

"Dan-iel. Don't be mad. I'm sorry for barging in. T' told me you were here and I wanted to see you before the meeting." Jack explained through the door. There was a brief pause, then, "Don't be shy and embarrassed, either! It's me! And you have absolutely no reason to be bashful, Spacemonkey!"

Daniel was grateful for the door as he blushed bright red. It had sounded like Jack was appreciative, but that couldn't be. Daniel had given up a long time ago on ever being seen as other than a friend to Jack, and the man had never once made…complimentary-type remarks about Daniel's appearance in all the time they'd known each other. However…

"Quit it with that name!" As far as he was concerned, Jack gave up the right to call him a cutesy nickname, particularly _that_ one. If the man ever wanted to be able to get away with calling him 'Spacemonkey' again, he'd have to earn it.

Dressed now, Daniel stared at himself in the mirror for a moment apprehensively. What _was_ Jack doing here? Maybe he didn't like the idea for the new team after all and decided to come shoot it down in person? After all (Daniel scowled at his reflection in bitter disappointment) Jack didn't trust him, something he made painfully clear when he was 'interrogating' a strapped-to-a-chair Prior Daniel a couple of months ago. As for why Jack thought it wasn't strange to be in Daniel's room, the linguist was very confused. Jack barely even liked him any longer, barely tolerated his presence. Why was he here?

A knock on the door jotted Daniel out of his reverie. "Daniel? You okay?" Oops…he must have zoned out for a moment.

The response was knee-jerk. "I'm fine."

"You sure? You've been in there a lot longer than it takes you to get dressed, and it was awfully quiet." The concern in Jack's voice had to be a figment of Daniel's considerable imagination. Annoyed with himself and the General, he wrenched open the door and strode out briskly, determined to be the professional he was and ignore all the weirdness and indeterminate attitude of his former best friend.

"I said I'm fine, Jack. And you never answered my question." He began picking up all his belongings and packing them up, knowing that after the meeting he'd be beamed back to the mountain with the obelisk and artefacts, and his team.

"Uh…which was that?" Jack sat on the bed again, toying with his yo-yo and watching Daniel pack up warily. At a quick, blue-eyed killer glare, he smiled winningly with totally faked innocence. "Oh! Well, like I said, Teal'c told me you were here, and I wanted to see you before the meeting."

"Well, here I am. So what did you want?" Daniel asked waspishly. Jack frowned, looking somewhat confused by the hostility.

"I can't want to see a good friend I don't get to spend a lot of time with these days?"

"No, Jack. Maybe you need to get your eyes checked. I'm not Teal'c, in case you hadn't noticed." Daniel looked around for his coffee mug, then remembered he'd left it in the bathroom. He went to get it, completely missing the surprise, hurt, and deepening frown on Jack's face.

"Daniel…I'm not in _your_ room to see Teal'c." Jack felt obliged to point out. "I'm here to see _you_. And how come you're so cranky? I apologized for surprising you like I did."

Daniel stared at him. Oh, what was the point? The ass never did understand how easily he could hurt Daniel with a few well-timed, choice words and an attitude that made Marines want their mommies. It was all too likely Jack would never figure out that he'd screwed up – again – and would, of course, just continue on like nothing happened.

"Forget it. I'm going to grab something to eat, drink about a gallon of coffee, and look over my notes for the meeting. Go find Sam and pester her, or Teal'c, or Mitchell…whoever." Daniel left his pack by the door and lifted the latch to open it.

A rough, sun-kissed hand slapped on the door and held it shut. "Oh no you don't. I don't know what I said or did to make you so mad at me, but I'm sorry. I only wanted to see you, see how you were since the whole Prior thing, and make sure you were really alright." Jack leaned on the door with his shoulder and folded his arms over his chest, real temper firing in his whiskey brown eyes. "Can we please talk about this without resorting to our usual childish squabbling or do I have to tie you to a chair and gag you to make you listen to me?"

If there was one person in the universe who was never, nor ever would be, intimidated by Jack O'Neill or his threats, it was Daniel Jackson. The archaeologist turned face-to-face with the older man, stepping right up into his space and daring him to even _try_ such a threat just by the cool fire in his own eyes. In truth, it was a bit of a shock to Daniel just how spoiling for a fight he really was. It was as if all the hurt, the loneliness, the aggravation, and the anger of ten plus years had boiled up to the surface where Daniel could no longer tame it, forget it, and lock it away.

"As you can see, I'm perfectly fine. Healthy, whole, sane. Now please move. You've done your duty, so let me get on with mine." His voice held a thinly veiled threat if Jack didn't. Jack, whether he understood that or not, did the typical Jack thing and ignored it. He pulled his security card out of his pocket and, before Daniel realized what he was going to do, swiped it through the card lock next to Daniel's head – effectively locking them in.

"What the hell did you do that for?"

"I'm the highest ranking officer on board. No one's opening that door until we've had this out. Obviously I've missed something here because I'm fairly sure you've never been this pissed off at me. And you've never treated me like something you just scraped off your boot before, either – sarcophagus addiction notwithstanding." Jack walked over to the middle of the room, planting himself firmly in place. "So come on. Let me have it. I can't fix the problem if I don't know what it is."

Incredulous, furious, Daniel's hands clenched into fists so tight his knuckles went white as he fairly stomped up to Jack with every intention of decking him and taking his security card. "Fix the problem? Fuck you, O'Neill! It'll take more time and effort than you've got or would want to put in to 'fixing' this!" A finger wagged between the two of them. "What makes you think you can just keep waltzing in and out of my life, treating me like you do, and expect that I'll just continue to take it and welcome you back each time? I sometimes wonder why I bothered Descending – the first time! – because it's become glaringly obvious that any friendship that was left from before Kelowna didn't survive the radiation any better than I did!" It was true – as far as Daniel could see. During the months after his return, his relationships with Sam and Teal'c had vastly improved, even blossomed. But with Jack…it became very obvious that Jack was simply going to pretend nothing happened and nothing had changed, that he wasn't going to try and get back their broken friendship and mend the shattered pieces of it. And now, as far as Daniel was concerned, it was far, far too late to be attempting any such thing _now_.

Jack's eyes widened, and he winced at the awful memory of a gauze-wrapped Daniel dying horrifically, painfully, in the infirmary of the lethal dose of radiation. He had never felt so helpless in his life. Not even with Charlie (because there was absolutely no opportunity for Jack to attempt to do anything to try and save his little boy). Stricken, and slowly beginning to realize that Daniel's current anger was not-so-current after all, Jack closed his eyes and sat down heavily on the edge of the bed. Unable to look Daniel in the eye, he attempted to salvage the little time he had here to convince the man that he was willing to try – it was the entire point of being there, after all.

"I fucked up. I know it. In so many ways…it's criminal. I don't expect anything from you, Daniel, let me make that clear first of all. You and I…" Jack made a helpless gesture, "there are so many things I want to own up to, so many things I want to explain, apologize for, and perhaps spend the rest of my life making up for. You know I'm no good at this feelings stuff, but when I've done wrong, I do acknowledge it and try to be mature about it, even if I'd rather pretend otherwise, sometimes I go about it back-asswards, and most of the time I end up screwing up even further, but I try." He gave Daniel a self-mocking grimace. "Actually, I can't believe you hadn't called me on this years ago. But then…I should have tried harder, slapped down my own pride sooner and called _myself_ on it. Truth is, I'm a coward. By rights, I should turn in every single one of those ribbons and medals on my uniform. I don't deserve them for what I've done to you. To us."

"Jack…" Daniel shook his head unbelievingly. "You're laying it on a bit thick. Don't exaggerate just to try and win me over. It just makes you look foolish."

"I'm not exaggerating!" Jack snapped, put out that Daniel didn't think he was being sincere or serious. "And good! Because I _am_ a fool. I've done everything I could, no matter how unconsciously or unintentionally, to alienate and take advantage of the best thing to happen to me since Charlie was born! When I realized what I'd done, I was too damn chicken-shit to face up to the consequences. Instead, I ran scared, let it continue, and it festered like gangrene until…here we are." Jack looked up at Daniel with the most utter honesty he'd ever shown the younger man in all the time they'd known one another.

"Do you hear me, Daniel? I'm saying I know I've screwed up and I'm more than willing to work on making it up to you, if you're willing to give me one last chance. No. If you're willing to give _us_ a final chance." Jack stood, arms dropping to his sides though he really wanted to reach out and grab Daniel by the arms and shake him. "I'm begging, Danny. You've seen all of me, good and bad. There's no pride for me between us, and I'm sorry it took me so long to figure that out. I came here all happy and excited, this great plan all worked out and ready to be put into action. I came _here_," his hands waved wildly, encompassing the room, "with the intention of firstly dropping the news that you're getting two weeks of vacation starting on Monday, then doing some quick sweet-talking to get you to give me the first week at the cabin. Just you and me. I don't even care if we fish or not. The whole point was to give us the time and place we needed to hash out what's become ground zero of our relationship." Jack looked away from Daniel's stony countenance, his chest squeezing painfully. "But…I can see now I was deluded and far too optimistic. I never expected to fully repair everything in one or two weeks, but I'd hoped it would be enough to start over, maybe even as something larger, something better than what we originally had."

Daniel was stunned. Downright shocked. And more confused than he'd ever been in his entire life. His head was full of questions, his emotions were zigzagging all over the place, and he was actually dizzy with it all – though that could be the low blood sugar, lack of sleep, and the caffeine craving, too. So…he sat down – hard – right there on the floor. "First off…" he began in a shaky, weak voice, "who are you and where'd you hide the pod? Because you can't be Jack O'Neill. My Jack is a smart-assed, cranky, juvenile, and irritatingly charming bastard who never admits he's wrong – unless it's to prove he's right – and who can't tell people how he really feels when it's important no matter how much you want him to. He's also real good at pretending to be a dumb jet-jockey and nothing more, even when he's truly frighteningly intelligent. My Jack would rather just say, 'Hey, I'm sorry I was an asshole!' and then never mention the problem again, expecting that he's forgiven and the problem is solved like it never happened."

Although his knees would bitch at him the rest of the day for it, Jack hunkered down in front of his shaken archaeologist and tried to catch Daniel's blue gaze. "It's true. I'm all those things and many more kinds of a bastard. As much as I would have liked to ignore the problem in the past…I can't. This is really me, Daniel. I'm not messing around with you or any of this, I swear." His knees creaked loudly as he sat down on his butt, draping his forearms over his bent knees loosely. "I'm sorry I…put all this on you know, at a time when you have so many other things on your mind. I guess I wasn't thinking too rationally about it. All I know is that I don't want to wait any longer to at least try and fix things between us. I don't think we'll _have_ any more time to wait. And..I couldn't bear it if anything happened to you out there with all this…muddy water under our bridges. Well, honestly, I couldn't bear it if anything happened to you, period. Probably won't survive much longer myself."

Daniel looked horrified. "Don't, Jack! Don't ever say that! I don't want you giving up just because something happens to me! I mean, why would you? I'm not worth…"

"Yes, Daniel Jackson, you damn well _are_. Especially to me!" Jack interrupted firmly. "It absolutely mystifies me how blind you are to the effect you have on the people around you, how oblivious you are to the effect you have on our lives. I admit we've done a real piss-poor job of showing how much you mean to us, that we've taken for granted your people-skills and gone on believing that of course you could see what we really think of you despite that. But…it's one of the things I mean to work on, given the chance."

Daniel's eyes began to sting. "Why are you doing this, Jack? Why now, after all this time? And why are you finally saying some of the right things I've wanted so badly to hear for too long?" Blue eyes darkened with suffering and an unspeakable loneliness, searching Jack's expression as if desperately hoping to find answers there. Jack felt his own eyes burn, and he sat forward, placing a hand on each of Daniel's knees and squeezing.

"Do you really need me to say it? I think you know. And I'm not prepared to say it until after we've really talked, Spacemonkey; not until after you and I have aired all our dirty laundry and figured a lot of crap out." Jack kneaded the younger man's knees tenderly. "Is there a chance of that happening? Is there some way I can earn that chance from you? Because I'll do whatever you want, Daniel."

A series of fierce shivers ran through the flesh under Jack's hands, and after a hitching sob of breath, the General suddenly found himself with his arms full of trembling, emotional linguist. Jack was feeling pretty distraught himself. He was _not_ prepared for _this_ when he came aboard. He hugged Daniel to his chest tightly, realizing he was shaking pretty badly himself, and buried his nose in Daniel's short hair with closed eyes, rocking them gently together as they rode out the emotional storm.

Neither man was certain how much time passed, but the tremors in both their bodies slowed and stopped, eventually, and so did the outpouring of pure emotion. But neither moved away from the other, unwilling to let go for fear the other might suddenly disappear.

For Daniel, however, it was very much about wallowing in the solace and heat of another person – Jack's warmth, protection, and care – and easing some of the lonely knots that had formed right down to his soul after years of solitude. He normally wasn't big on being touched, but he'd come to rely on Jack's affectionate nature to supply the cravings for touch that he hadn't known were there before. The hair ruffling, shoulder-pats, hugs (and those were the most special for their rarity), and even the occasional arm punches gave him a sense of caring, of belonging..of acceptance as he'd never had before. When it all seemed to just stop, as Jack seemed to withdraw from him, he'd fought hard to learn how to live without it again. He had no idea if Jack understood just what he did for Daniel just by being there, and he was fairly certain he would never try to explain it to him, either.

But, now, here he was practically in Jack's lap being hugged and held and touched and soothed…and it felt sooo good. The lonely noose around his heart slowly began to unravel and loosen, and something deep, deep within him began to mend. He took a deep breath, inhaling a lungful of air and Jack's scent, and as he released it slowly, that something Daniel snuggled into the embrace like a contented cat, practically purring with growing happiness.

Oh, he was still mad at the considerable ass, don't get him wrong. And there were indeed a whole lot of things they needed to get straightened out – Jack was totally right on the button with that. But right now all Daniel wanted was to absorb what he could of this moment, to be happy for just a little longer. So he held onto Jack quietly, eyes closed, and listened to the steady, joyful rhythm of Jack's heartbeat against his ear.

Jack wasn't complaining. Far from it. He was enjoying it just as much as Daniel, and was perfectly content to stay that way forever if they could – which he knew was impossible, but hey! While huddled there, absorbing each other, he did some quick introspection and re-evaluation of the situation. It wasn't a threat assessment, _per se_, but he was heavily weighing what he'd believed to be the truth about where he stood with Daniel against the obvious reality of it. He wondered – and not for the hundredth time in the last hour – how he had let everything decline so badly. It had become glaringly obvious that Daniel had relied on him for much, much more than just friendship or a decent work relationship. Jack apparently filled a lot of the holes in Daniel's life and spirit, and he'd been too self-absorbed and selfish to see that until now. Well no more. He'd do more than fill those holes for Daniel. He'd make them overflow.

"You know…" the rough, husky voice startled Jack and he glanced down at the top of Daniel's head. "I feel really ridiculous at the moment. We're two grown men, yet we're sitting on the floor and I'm cuddling you like you're my very own personal over-sized teddy bear." The linguist's voice took on a definite tone of recrimination. "Yet I can't seem to move myself away, even though I should. I'm not this weak, this…needy."

"Do you hear your teddy bear complaining, Danny?" Jack asked, amused because he kind of felt like one. "And you're not weak or needy. You are the strongest human being I've ever met. It's part of the whole parcel of being so strong to be lonely, to want the closeness of another, their comfort and support. I'm…so very sorry it took me so long to get that, Daniel. I only saw your strength, and was blind to your needs."

Fingers reached up and laid themselves over his lips, shushing him. "To be fair, it isn't like I ever told you, either. It takes two to tango, Jack, and in this mess we find ourselves in, it took both of us to get here." Daniel shifted, moving so that he was comfortably situated between Jack's legs, his back leaning on Jack's chest. Jack curled his arms around Daniel again and held on, pressing his cheek to Daniel's temple and rubbing gently.

"Maybe. Probably. But most of the blame is on me. Aht!" Jack hushed the protest. "No. It's the truth and you know it. We'll work on it, Daniel. At least…I hope we will?"

The apprehension in Jack's voice made Daniel rub a soothing palm up and down Jack's thigh. "You wouldn't still be here if I wasn't willing to give this one last shot, O'Neill. Just…not right now. Maybe not even this weekend. I need…a little time to, you know, percolate." Daniel made a swirling motion around his head to illustrate, and Jack began to laugh, the vibrations reverberating against Daniel's back pleasantly.

Relieved and working up to giddy again, Jack continued to smirk as they hauled themselves up off the floor stiffly. "I think I need to pour a gallon or so of coffee into you ASAP. You're starting to use words that normally are associated with the java juice." Daniel smiled a little wryly, then blinked when his stomach growled loudly in demand.

"Um…I could eat."

"No kidding." Jack stared at his middle in awe. "Did that sound really come from you?"

"Shut up. Don't be an ass, Jack." Daniel glanced at his watch and squawked, "Shit! I'm not going to have time to go over my notes now!"

"Come on. Forget the notes. You don't' need them. Let's just go feed the hungry beast living in your stomach, fill up on caffeine, and relax a little." Jack swiped his card through the card reader and swung the door open. "After you, Dr. Jackson."

A hand dropped down on Jack's forearms Daniel went to step past him. "Wait, Jack." There was a speculative gleam to the bright, intelligent blue eyes focused on the General and studying him like one of Daniel's artefacts. Jack returned the look expectantly. "I just…were you serious about the two weeks of leave? I mean, Landry actually okayed letting SG1 off for that long when things are so…"

"I kind of insisted. And in our line of work, when is there _ever_ a really good time for a vacation? Besides, if they really need any of us, they can find us."

"Right. What was I thinking?" Daniel shook his head at himself then smiled in a shy, contemplative way that made Jack hurry after the man as he walked away, toward the main commissary.

"Daniel? Penny for them?"

"Nothing, Jack. Just…"

"Percolating?" Jack grinned, but there was a hopeful note to his tone that didn't escape Daniel's notice. Smiling mysteriously, Daniel just shrugged and ambled into the commissary, looking for his team. Spotting them, he waved and made his way to the line to pick out his lunch.

Jack sighed to himself and reminded himself that patience was a virtue. Following his friend to the line to grab his own meal, he made a mental note to talk to the rest of SG1 to requisition their friendship and assistance in getting Daniel's stuff out of storage and unpacking it all at the house while they – Jack and Daniel – were at the cabin.

As they joined Teal'c, Vala, Sam, and Mitchell at their table, Sam smiled up at them and teased, "I knew the General would succeed in getting you here Daniel. What did he have to promise you? A few pounds of that expensive coffee you love? The most expensive chocolate he can find?"

Jack eyed her and took a sip of his own coffee before saying, "Two weeks leave and many sexual favours," in a dry, completely serious voice he knew they wouldn't believe and would probably call him on, as his reputation for saying outrageous things at inappropriate moments was well known to his former teammates.

Daniel – who should have known better, and knew at least half that statement was true (he wasn't quite prepared to think about the truth of the other half) – nearly choked on the bite of lemon chicken he'd just put in his mouth. "Jack!" he exclaimed, scandalized.

Mitchell's eyes were wide and flicking between the two curiously but not judgementally. Vala looked far too interested in the concept and Sam was trying futilely to smother the giggles that still escaped. And Teal'c…merely smiled in that mysterious, all-knowing Jaffa way he had and inclined his head at Jack (who shrugged surreptitiously and smiled faintly at the silent acknowledgement). Teal'c obviously understood how much truth was really in Jack's words, and the man wondered why he ever bothered to try and hide anything from his big Jaffa friend.

"He made no such promises!" Daniel was hastily trying to assure his team, shooting dark glares at the innocent-looking General that promised retribution when Jack least expected it. "There were no promises of any such kind, or bribes, or whatever!" He just knew his face was bright red.

Mitchell nudged Daniel's plate a bit with a finger. "Relax, Jackson. Get busy and eat, 'cause you've only got ten minutes before we have to head to the briefing room."

Daniel made a panicked noise and began shovelling in the food. Jack just shook his head and ploughed through his own lunch – with a tad more circumspection and decorum than the linguist sitting across the table from him.

* * *

Fifteen minutes later, Jack and SG1 met up with General Landry and took their seats at the long table in the _Odyssey_'s briefing room. Jack sat at the head of the table, Daniel at his right, and the others after him, while Landry sat at the opposite end from Jack. Moments later, the representatives of the IOA filed in and sat down along the empty side of the table.

Conspicuously absent was Richard Woolsey – not that Daniel minded or anything.

"So let's get this show on the road." Jack declared, straightening in his chair. "I assume you all know why we're here and I don't have to give you any long explanations?" At the nods from the IOA members, Jack gestured at Daniel. "Good. Your floor, Dr. Jackson."

Daniel cleared his throat and pushed his glasses up his nose before looking down the table to meet each member's eyes as he spoke. "Thanks, Jack." Even now he just couldn't address him by rank. _Never had, never would,_ the officer in question mused silently. "And thank you, ladies and gentlemen for your valuable time. I'm sure General Landry gave you all an overview of the idea I proposed, but I want to offer you more detail and reasoning behind the concept so that you can see why I think this new, Earth-side SG team is worth the expense."

And so he talked, listing off all the reasons he had come up with for the team, pointed out all the countries where discoveries were made or encounters had occurred, explained the expenses that were likely to pop up if the team were to exist and function effectively, and generally did his absolute best to convince the IOA that it was a good idea and in their best interests, really.

"To conclude, I even have a suggestion about where the new team might begin." Daniel took a big gulp of coffee and stood, picking up a small remote controller and turning off the lights while turning on a projection screen that stretched across the length of the table. It was a holographic screen, courtesy of the Asgard, and the images that popped up were of the artefacts SG1 had confiscated from Steven Rayner and his dig team. "As you may or may not know yet, SG1 was sent to New York City a few days ago to investigate a tip that an archaeological nature. What you see here are the artefacts we recovered."

"Where were these found, Dr. Jackson? Some of these appear very familiar." The new Russian representative who recently replaced the deceased Col. Chekov asked.

"They should." Daniel switched images to show the obelisk and the small communication stones. "They are of Ancient origin, ma'am, and they – along with what you see here – were all excavated from a recent dig in Southern France by Dr. Steven Rayner and his team. Dr. Rayner is a former colleague of mine. You may recognize the name as one of the two I've recommended for recruitment to the programme and for the new team."

"I had not heard of such a find." The French representative said in surprise. "I knew of the dig you speak of, yet there was no word of any discoveries like this – only the usual Roman and Greek items that are typical to the area. Where did the SGC get this information?"

Before Daniel could answer, Landry spoke up. "From the other name Dr. Jackson recommended. Dr. Sarah Gardner. She was the former host to Osiris, you may recall, and has some previous knowledge of the programme thanks to that experience. It was she who tipped us off to the probability of the existence of alien devices or artefacts at this exhibit."

"Sarah keeps in contact with me. She is also a former colleague of mine." Daniel continued at a nod from Landry. "From what I know of Steven, I can guess why you, sir," he nodded at the Frenchman, "hadn't heard about this, even without having read his statement yet. You see…Steven has always held a grudge against me. Our mentor, Dr. Jordan, tended to favour me over Steven – or at least that is how it always seemed to Steven. This kind of academic rivalry is fairly common. Dr. Jordon always had high hopes for all of us but especially me, and he was probably my biggest supporter, pre-programme. Well, anyway, when I was laughed out of my field for the final time, Steven had come to believe I'd betrayed Dr. Jordon and his support of me by insisting I was right and continuing to pursue my work. He was already jealous of the attention I received from Dr. Jordan, but now he had even more cause to dislike me. His jealousy and the shadow he continued to live under after I 'disappeared' – when I came to the programme – only continued to simmer over time.

"Then Dr. Jordan died. I went to the funeral and ran into Steven and Sarah there. The events that followed you all know as the Osiris/Egypt incident. Sticking my nose into Dr. Jordan's death and the missing Osiris/Isis jars and amulet just antagonized Steven further. Because of all this rivalry he feels toward me, I believe he kept this big find as secret as he could in the hopes that when he presented it and his research to the community he'd finally make a name for himself and pull himself out from my supposed shadow."

"I see." The French rep shook his head. "Perhaps we should begin paying much closer attention to any activity within our own nations in the future so such an occurrence does not happen again."

"It would be wise, yes." Daniel agreed. "And if we make this new team, you would have someone reliable and qualified to handle any such delicate discoveries that will probably occur in the future."

"Dr. Jackson, I must ask you…why do you recommend this Dr. Rayner if what you say is true about him?" The Chinese rep inquired. "He obviously desires recognition for his work, which he will not receive if he were to be accepted to the programme. And his dislike of you shows that his character may leave a great deal to be desired in a member of an SG team."

"I hate to say it, but the lady has a point, Jackson." Mitchell seemed compelled to throw his two-cents in. "I don't know the guy, but from his reaction to us – you – when we crashed his party doesn't really endear him to me."

"I know. I do! But…" Daniel heaved a sigh. "Despite that, Steven is a good man. He's an excellent archaeologist and he has real talent when it comes to preservation and archiving artefacts and documents. For that alone he'd be a valuable addition to the SGC. But I honestly believe that once he knows what reality we face, when he understands the importance of the work, he'll be just as loyal and reliable as any other SG member. And he will get recognition, just not from the people he once wanted it from. I think when he knows the truth, he'll find all the validation he's ever wanted."

"So you believe he is trustworthy, Dr. Jackson? That he can be entrusted with the security of the programme? Because if you are incorrect and he becomes a leak…" the British rep cautioned, saying without words that the blame would fall on Daniel if such a thing happened.

Jack intervened, catching on immediately and heading that off before it got started. "Oh no. Hold your horses! You can't expect Daniel to predict the future and make guarantees about the actions of another person! Just…no. He's made the recommendation based on his professional opinion of the man's abilities as an archaeologist. Should Rayner go Darkside and spook, that's _his_ decision, and the consequences will fall on him alone."

"Now, now, folks." Landry stuck his calmer, more diplomatic head into the fray. "We're getting ahead of the game here, don't you think? We don't know what will happen, so there's no use arguing over possibilities that are, at present, irrelevant." Landry looked at Daniel. "Was there anything further you wanted to say, Dr. Jackson?"

"Oh…uh, yes, sir. I brought up this latest mission for a reason." Daniel pulled himself back to the point he was trying to make, and switched the images on-screen to close-ups of the Ancient writing from the obelisk. "I want to suggest the dig in Southern France as the first assignment for the new team. This obelisk, after I spent all last night studying the thing and translating the text you see here, is actually a version of the communication devices we have seen recently. It appears it was modified to be camouflaged, in effect, to look like a typical Roman obelisk based on Egyptian design – as the Romans were known to borrow architecture from all over their empire. Since your average citizen or slave or soldier was illiterate it was unlikely anyone would recognize the text as writing, let alone be able to read it. Honestly, it appears almost decorative, and even _I_ may have over-looked it if I had never seen this particular form of Ancient before."

"What's it say?" Sam asked, leaning forward eagerly.

"This part," Daniel zoomed in on one section, "is basically a sign. The rest is instructions and a kind of maintenance warning for whomever was caretaker of the obelisk during the time of its use. However, what makes this especially special is its purpose."

"It's a communicator." Vala repeated slowly, not sure where Daniel was going with the dramatic build-up. "Like the one we used to talk to those poor people in the Ori galaxy."

"Yes. But according to the Ancient text on the tablets that were also found with the obelisk, _this_ device had a very specific destination that it was connected _to_." With a grin, Daniel switched images, showing the tablet he wanted, then highlighted a section of text and zoomed in on it.

Mitchell whistled lowly and Sam gave a surprised gasp. Vala blinked in confusion and said, "It looks like a Stargate address, but with eight symbols."

Jack clapped his hands, applauding his beaming linguist. "Atlantis. Well done, Daniel!"

"Indeed." Teal'c agreed. "This discovery should be passed on to Dr. Weir and her team, should it not? Perhaps they can locate the partner to this device."

"We will. As soon as I get back to the SGC, I'll have your report transmitted to Dr. Weir immediately." General Landry declared. "Is it possible that the device still works?"

"Sam and her people will have to go over it some more first, General." Daniel shrugged. "There were energy readings emitting from it, which suggests it still has power, but I don't know about its capability to function. As you saw, the top part of the obelisk was severely damaged. There may be missing parts or something may be damaged inside."

"Do you believe there is more to be found at the site these things came from?" The Chinese rep asked. "This is why you suggest the new team be assigned to continue excavations?"

"Yes. At the very least, the new team has access to equipment and instruments that normal archaeologists do not. They can scan for energy emissions, certain minerals like naqahdah or trinium, and even for hidden underground chambers that normal ground-penetrating radar can't." Daniel aimed a glance at his team. "Glastonbury?"

"It certainly bears looking into." Sam agreed.

Daniel shut down the screen and turned the lights back on. "Well, that's really all I have right now. But I hope I've made a sufficient case for the new team. Um…did anyone have any other questions?"

"I have one." The Russian rep spoke. "How would this team be administered? I mean…who would oversee its missions and progress, and who would lead such a team?"

"Ah." The linguist took his seat and folded his hands on the table in front of himself. "Yes, I nearly forget that part. I imagined, when I was planning and dreaming, that it would operate like a mini-SGC, in a way. I will, of course, oversee its functions just as I do the rest of my department – budgets, administrative details, progress status, and assignments. The team wouldn't go anywhere except by the mandate of the SGC commander, just like any team. And the IOA would have as much control of its operations as you do the rest of the international programme. The only difference is that the budget would be significantly larger than your average SG team because it isn't doing the same job as the others. I'm sure each IOA member-country would like to submit candidates for consideration to join the team, also, as there are many, many different areas of expertise that will need to be filled in order for the team to be effective and efficient."

"Very good, Dr. Jackson. You seem to have thought of everything." The British rep approved judiciously.

"I really try to, sir."

Landry added his own thoughts. "Before you ask about any military application that may end up applicable, if it is necessary that a military contingent be assigned for the protection of the civilian scientists, the SGC would task any available SG team or teams, including SG1."

"Military?" Russia was frowning at that idea. "For what reason would this be necessary?"

"I know it's hard to remember where we live," Jack drawled sarcastically, "what with the knowledge of the universe we have and work in, but there are still places right here at home that are just as dangerous to play in as any out there."

"The Middle East, for instance. Or certain places in Central and South America. Or Central Asia." Mitchell listed off trouble spots on his fingers.

"We understand, Col. Mitchell." The Brit interrupted. "And I do see your point, General Landry. I believe we of IOA would be willing to offer our nation's support in whatever way we can should such a need arise." The other reps nodded in agreement.

"Well then!" Landry stood and thanked Daniel for his work. "Excellent work, Dr. Jackson. Thank you for the hard work on such short notice. As for you folks," he turned to speak to the IOA members directly, "you probably need time to think it all over, speak to your governments, whatever. "So we'll adjourn for now and meet again, when? Tomorrow morning?"

"Thank you, General, for that consideration." The Chinese rep rose to her feet and glanced down the line at her other colleagues. "However, I don't believe it is necessary. Despite the absence of your Mr. Woolsey, I believe the rest of us are in agreement and are prepared to endorse the new team. Yes?"

Each member nodded or made some indication of agreement.

"Wonderful!" Jack rubbed his hands together in satisfaction. Daniel was stunned but pleased that he'd managed to succeed.

"In that case," Landry smiled engagingly, "I'll let Woolsey know and we'll hammer out all the official paperwork to be passed along to each of you. Dr. Jackson can start recruiting his colleagues and bring them up to speed, and then make further selections from whatever candidates you all present him with later on."

"That is agreeable." Russia concurred, as did the others.

Jack got up, went to the door, and snagged a passing crew member. "Airman, do me a favour and escort our guests to the Ring-room, then notify the bridge that they are ready to be beamed home."

"Yes, sir, General O'Neill." The officer, a sergeant, snapped a smart salute and patiently waited for the IOA members to gather their briefcases and jackets before leading them away.

Once the door closed again, Daniel flopped back into his chair and heaved a huge sigh of relief. "Thank god that's over. For a while there I wasn't sure they were buying it – literally."

"Ya done good, Danny." Jack grinned, clapping Daniel on the shoulder heartily a few times. "Real good. And didn't I tell you not to worry?"

"Yes, Jack." Daniel rolled his eyes.

Sam was smiling at the, almost wistfully. There was something here that was missing, something that reminded her of the first years of their team…something that she had refused to see and was absent for far longer than she'd cared to admit. Watching the two men continue their playful banter (aka childish squabbling), Sam had a moment of introspection, one of those sudden things that just rear up and slap a person with new-found clarity about something. Even though she'd known it after the confrontation at the General's cabin, she finally let herself _see_ it. And she was little surprised that it didn't hurt. Not at all. On the contrary, she was _glad_ to see it – glad to _feel_ it. There was an absence of tension that she realized she had gotten so used to between these two strong men that she didn't recognize its existence until now that it was gone. And Jack was relaxed, fingers drumming not restlessly on the tabletop but with an energy that reminded her of a steady downpour – quiet, tranquil, but no less dynamic. She couldn't remember seeing him so…at peace, not for ages.

Then there was Daniel. Her 'little brother,' who (she was ashamed to admit) she'd neglected for no reason that would ever be good enough to her conscience. Especially the last two years. After the score at the cabin, she'd abandoned him in favour of her own resentfulness and jealousy and misplaced anger, although she had (after running away to Nevada) eventually come to terms with the fact that she was blaming someone for _her_ issues who was totally innocent of fault – if not completely oblivious to anything that she had condemned him for. When she'd come back to the SGC, after months of trying to bury herself in her projects and new posting, trying to escape her heart and her conscience, and she'd seen Daniel again…any lingering resentment about her failure with Jack O'Neill and the fact that he hadn't refuted her accusations concerning the 'who' Jack claimed to belong to so completely had just…melted away. She knew then what she'd truly lost in fleeing the reality of her love-life. She'd given up the family she loved, the only 'family' she had left – since Mark and his family had distanced themselves from Sam after Jacob had passed away with Selmac. She'd given up her career, something that was better than anything she'd ever dreamed of growing up. But she'd noticed a difference in this brave, brilliant, somewhat flaky man she'd adopted as a brother, a difference from the Daniel she knew pre-Kelowna and Ascension, and even a difference from the Daniel she'd gotten to know post-Descension. Certainly the experiences of dying and Ascending and then having to relearn about himself after Vis Uban would change him – would change anyone – but this wasn't because of that. Sam was sure of it. Daniel was…very much a loner. He'd stopped trying to reclaim what he thought was there before – what was supposed to be there, according to his shaky memories and how these people had reacted to his appearance on that planet.

People that were happy to see him, wanted him to come home, helping him to remember who he was. People who told him all these wonderful qualities about himself and really seemed to believe it.

And yet when he came home, they _all_ tended to act as if he'd never been gone. They put him back in a place that, before he'd left with Oma Desala, hadn't felt like a place of belonging. At first Daniel seemed to want to fight to make that place for himself, and he seemed to have succeeded, but now Sam wondered if he hadn't sacrificed more than he'd gained to create a place of belonging. Because not only was Daniel more isolated from his teammates than before, he continued to suffer hardship after hardship which inevitably he ended up dealing with the aftermaths on his own. There were fewer and fewer team nights or BBQs or get-togethers. The team dynamics changed drastically. Daniel was being quietly pushed aside, and where his normal place on the team was at Jack's side, he tended to fade into the background so that Sam could fill that spot. And – now that she thought of it, glancing at Teal'c – their Jaffa teammate had taken up a protective, solicitous guard over Daniel as if he could sense just how far away Daniel was becoming removed from his family. But no matter how much Teal'c wanted to, he still didn't fully understand Tau'ri ways, nor the whys and hows of Daniel's separation enough to keep the linguist with them. Teal'c was a Jaffa, and there were certain things he would not interfere with no matter how badly he wanted to. He could only stand by and support Daniel silently, just by existing and hoping his presence helped, even a little.

Suddenly a laugh cut through her train of thought, and she blinked in surprise. Then she grinned, because it was Daniel's laugh.

He didn't do that often enough at all. So why now? Oh. The General was making jokes at Richard Woolsey's expense, including little sketches and doodles that he was happily displaying to Daniel.

Hearing Daniel laugh, seeing him smile, and feeling the warmth of a happy linguist filling up a place in her heart she hadn't realized was empty made Sam's eyes sting with tears. She very much wanted to get up and go over to hug the stuffing out of him and tell him how very much she loved him.

Jack, feeling rather proud of himself for pulling that wonderful laugh out of his all-too serious archaeologist, crumpled up the paper from Daniel's notebook with all his Woolsey doodles on it and happened to glance at Carter as he got up to go throw the paper away. "Carter? Yo, Carter!"

She blinked, startled out of whatever place she'd been in, and snapped to attention reflexively. "Sir! Uh…sorry, sir. I must have been thinking…"

Jack gave her an odd look, noting the suspicious sheer to her eyes and the stiffness of her posture. "Relax, Carter. You just looked a little out of it. You okay?"

"Yes, sir. Fine." Sam smiled in what she hoped was a reassuring way. "Like I said, just thinking."

"Well stop it! You're making my brain hurt in sympathy." Jack tossed the paper in the wastebasket. "So!" He clapped his hands together loudly. "What's the story, kids? What's next on the agenda?"

"We haven't officially debriefed yet concerning the mission to New York." Landry pointed out, looking down the table at his premiere team. "But Dr. Jackson did a fairly thorough job of most of the findings already, so I won't ask him to repeat himself. Did anyone have something to add?"

Jack listened in while he went over to the side of the room to grab the full coffee pot so he could refill both his mug and Daniel's.

"We have a few more tests to run back at the SGC, sir." Sam said. "After those are completed, I'll have a report for you."

"Otherwise, no, General, we have nothing else to add. For once things went very smoothly." Mitchell stated happily.

"Uh…there were a few things I didn't mention earlier, sir." Daniel confessed sheepishly. "I only used what I thought relevant to my arguments for the team." He looked up as Jack handed him a refilled coffee mug. "Thanks, Jack."

"Okay. So what did you leave out?" Vala asked, "Because I probably would have never noticed."

"Well, the reason I think the dig site is worth checking out more thoroughly is because of the approximate dating I managed to theorize based on the text from the tablets, as well as the style and type of stone used to make the obelisk. It looks like it might be something the Romans brought from somewhere else, however. I don't believe this to be the case. I think it was there as a part of an earlier settlement – quite possibly left by the ancients themselves – and the Romans just incorporated it into their own colony when they arrived much later." Daniel explained his tentative Ancient timeline of their residency on Earth. "It was obviously made sometime before all the Ancients left for Atlantis, or it was brought here by one of the Ancients who returned to Earth later, when the situation with the Wraith began to go badly and that plague was sweeping through our galaxy. If I'm correct, then it is very possible that whoever that obelisk belonged to may have left something else behind."

"Ah. Sounds like enough of a reason to me to send the new team there to investigate." Mitchell agreed.

"It is true. DanielJackson could very well be correct. We have learned of several Ancient or Ascended individuals who left Earth then returned much later." Teal'c agreed also.

"There will be a lot to do before I can send the team to Southern France, though." Daniel felt obliged to point out. "Once Steven and Sarah get their official clearance, I'm going to have to show them around, tell them…everything, and then they'll have to go through all the preliminary training we require of the new civilian recruits. And I've got to come up with some sort of reference material for them for the known dialects of Ancient. Sarah will probably be find with anything Goa'uld, but Ancient is different."

"They know Latin, don't they?" Jack queried.

"Well, yes. Sarah's a better linguist than Steven, but…"

"Then whatever you give them for reference will be fine. They'll probably have a much easier time learning it than Teal'c and I did." Jack decided confidently.

"It's a shame you didn't retain it longer than it took to stop Malachi from continuing the time loops, Jack." Daniel sighed mournfully. "We could always use someone who has a decent grasp on Ancient."

Jack sensed an insult in there somewhere and frowned. "Who says I didn't retain anything?"

"You do." SG1 chorused (excluding Landry and Vala). Even Mitchell had heard the General claim not to understand those 'crazy Ancient chicken-scratches.'

Scowling, Jack waved the topic aside. "Well, I do remember most of what I learned."

"Anyway…" Daniel continued, ignoring the put-out officer next to him. "It will be sometime before the team is ready to go on that mission. I'll do my best to help them out so they're prepared as soon as possible, General Landry."

"I've no doubt, son." Landry nodded, content with how the day had gone thus far. "Moving on to other topics, I suggest that you all get any important work you had going finished this weekend because as of Monday SG1 is on leave. For a week." He shot Jack a furtive glance.

"A week?" Mitchell's eyes were very round. "Sir, I appreciate the thought, but…"

"Yes, Colonel, a week. I know you all can find _something_ to occupy yourselves for such a short period of time _off-base_." Landry emphasized. "I catch any one of you so much as breathing on the mountain and I'll have you shot. SG1 has had a busy, rough few months. You've been working pretty much non-stop for a long time now, and you need a break. And right now is as good as time as any for you to have some time away from work."

Daniel glanced sideways at Jack, who wore an innocently happy expression – obviously for the benefit of the rest of Daniel's team, because Daniel was pretty damn sure Jack had arranged this miraculous leave on purpose. Hadn't he said as much earlier?

"Um, well, thank you, sir." Sam said in surprised gratitude.

"But…" Vala was looking a little lost. "What about…"

_General Landry and Dr. Jackson to the bridge!_ The page interrupted her. _General Landry and Dr. Jackson, please come to the bridge!_

Daniel shrugged at Jack's questioning gaze. "Guess we'd better go see what they want." Landry led the way, waving Mitchell and Sam down when they made to stand up as he left.

Once they were gone, Jack seized the moment.

"Listen up, kids. While I have the opportunity, I need to talk to you about a little something personal. So gather 'round."

SG1 exchanged intrigued and concerned looks then moved so that they all sat in the seats nearest Jack, who leaned forward in a conspiratorial way.

"What is this about, O'Neill? You are acting very suspiciously." Teal'c wanted to know, casting a stern Jaffa eye on his Tau'ri brother-in-arms.

"I need to ask you all to do me a huge favour on your leave. Actually, I'd rather you did it for Daniel and not for me." Jack shifted a tad uncomfortably under their curious scrutiny. "I would very much appreciate it if you could get Daniel's belongings out of storage, take them to the house, and unpack everything. You know…get it all ready for him to just move on in."

"Whoa, what? What house?" Mitchell stared in mild confusion. "Jackson doesn't have a house. He's lived on-base since he missed the _Daedalus_."

Vala aimed an interested look at the silver-haired man. "And why do you need _us_ to do this?"

Teal'c, however, only nodded gravely, seeming to understand completely and approve. "I will be happy to be of assistance in this venture, O'Neill."

"Thanks, T." Jack smiled gratefully at him.

Sam's eyes went large and she gave a small gasp as she realized just where this request was probably going. "Sir! I thought…didn't you sell…have you and Daniel…?" She couldn't seem to get out a whole question.

Uneasily, Jack forced himself to remain calm and meet his former second-in-command's gaze. "I almost did sell the house, Carter. But the buyer backed out at the very last minute. So I hung onto the property a while longer. And then…I came up with an idea." He held her gaze steadily, refusing to back down and hoping she would understand. "I have a lot of fences to mend with Daniel, but even if it can't happen, I want to give him something he's never truly had – a home. He doesn't know it yet, but my old house is now his. I have all the paperwork signed and ready to go. I'm taking him fishing for the week to try and mend those fences, and when I bring him back, I want to be able to bring him _home_. Even if…even if I'm not in it with him, it's his to keep or sell. I'm sort of hoping that once he sees what I've done he'll want to keep it, though." _And me…_ Jack added silently. He was pretty sure they heard the unspoken thought anyway. "I have this plan. But to pull it off, I need this one little thing from you, kids – you who are his family. The only real family he has."

Pleased, Vala added her assistance to Teal'c's. "I'd be happy to help! After all, every house needs a woman's touch, right?" She rubbed her hands together, a gleam in her own set of stunning blue eyes that made Jack just a tad nervous.

"I don't really know or understand what's going on, but I'll help out." Mitchell pitched in with a shrug. Oh, he had a hunch or three, but even if he was correct, it didn't matter to him. It was none of his business anyway. As long as SG1 – people who were not only his teammates and personal heroes but also his friends – were happy and healthy, then he was, too. He'd do whatever he could to keep it that way. "I've had plenty of practice moving over my lifetime."

There was a flash of grateful respect in O'Neill's eyes. "Thank you. Both of you." He looked back at Carter, a sad kind of resignation passing over his expression when she remained silent. "It's alright, Carter. You should probably go spend your leave with Cassie, anyway. I'm sure she really misses you." Jack pulled out a piece of paper with a key ring attached, and slipped it across the table to Mitchell. "The storage place's address is there, with the shed number and its key is that odd-shaped one. The other key is for the house. Teal'c knows where it is. Um…if you want to rent a truck or something, just bill me for it later."

"Yes, sir." Mitchell smiled a little, though he probably wouldn't bill the General for anything as his contribution to the plan – whatever it is. "Leave it to us, sir."

"In this instance, Cameron, I'm not a General and you're not a Lt. Colonel. 'Jack' is perfectly fine." Jack held out a hand and Cam accepted, shaking firmly. "Besides, you're SG1. We've always operated a little differently than usual, and you've more than earned your place."

Teal'c, who was watching Carter with a nearly imperceptible frown on his face, rose to his feet and clapped a hand on O'Neill's shoulder. "You may rely on us to prepare a home for DanielJackson, O'Neill. ColonelMitchell, ValaMalDoran, perhaps we should attend the bridge to determine if some event has occurred? Or if we can be assistance to General Landry and DanielJackson?" He raised a pointed eyebrow that said he wasn't actually suggesting anything.

They took the not-so-subtle cue, eyeing Sam and Jack before getting up and following Teal'c out the door, hurried farewells tossed out as they passed the General's chair.

Once they were alone and it was only Jack and Sam left in the room, Jack linked his fingers together in front of himself and stared hard at them. "Go ahead, Carter. Say whatever it is you want."

"Sir…Jack," Sam sighed heavily, picking at invisible lint on her pants in a distracted way, "I owe you a massive apology."

Surprised, Jack stared at her. "What? No, you don't. I understand why you wouldn't want to be involved, Carter, and it's okay. I shouldn't have asked you to do something like this anyway. Just…one more screw up for my list, I guess."

"No, you don't understand. I want to help. I _will_ help, and so will Cassie when I tell her. She'll be overjoyed, you know." Sam smiled a little, thinking of the young woman who was probably the closest she'd have to a daughter of her own. "She loves you and Daniel so much, actually downright _adores_ Daniel. She'd do anything for him." Sam met Jack's whiskey brown eyes, gone soft at the mention of SG1's adopted child, raised by extended member Dr. Janet Fraiser until she'd died in the line of duty almost four years previous. "I'm apologizing because…I've been a fool, and I reacted badly to a situation I had no business expecting certain outcomes from. I've caused strife between you and Daniel, however unintentional it was, and I've been too absorbed in myself and things that I only wanted to be that really were not. I lost my professionalism somewhere, too.

"I want you to know that…I've come to terms with everything, and that I hold nothing less than the deepest of respect and admiration for you – not only as an officer of the USAF but as a person, also. And…I love you, but as a very good friend and no more – or less. This…" Sam blushed and flicked a hand between Jack and herself, "It wasn't all your fault, and really, I can't blame _you_ for my part in making it all so awkward and confused. I know that, now. And…I think I have a few fences of my own to mend." Her eyes slid away to stare at her lap, tears beginning to burn. "I just hope that you both can accept my apologies and that we can all move on, to be stronger friends for it."

Feeling a tad misty himself, and a little light-headed as the huge and heavy weight on his head, heart, and shoulders named Samantha Carter was lifted, Jack pushed himself to his feet and held out his arms to her. "We already are, Sam."

She got up with a watery smile and moved into the hug, letting him give her the only affection he had for her. For some reason, unsurprisingly, Sam realized that this was _exactly_ what she wanted of this man. And to think she'd nearly lost it. What a fool she'd been!

Sniffling, she pulled away after a quick extra squeeze, and brushed at the stray moisture on her cheeks that had escaped. "Well. Now that we have that settled…what can Cassie and I do to help, sir? Is there anything that you need for the house?"

Grinning, Jack stuffed his hands into his pockets and rocked on his feet with all the anticipation and excitement of the little boy he was at heart. "Yeah sure, you betcha!"

Grinning back, Sam laughed.


	3. Part III

Disclaimer: Kali & Muses do not own Stargate; we just borrowed it for this fanfiction.  
_Warnings_: slash in the form of Jack/Daniel

_Big thanks to my new beta, Cryysis!_

**~ Part III ~**

**Chapter I**

_Friday afternoon_

The page to the bridge of the _Odyssey_ turned out to be due to the arrival of Richard Woolsey, the US representative to the IOA. Once finished debriefing Sarah and Steven, and overseeing the collection of the rest of the data and media related to the confiscated items from the dig, he'd insisted on being allowed on-board to report to Landry in person – and Daniel, with reluctance, because he was very much involved in the entire situation.

"…General, I really must protest at my exclusion from this meeting with the other IOA members. That such a major decision was made without my presence or opinion is, frankly, offensive!"

Daniel rolled his eyes and hid a jaw-cracking yawn, continuing to study the star map on the bridge absently while Woolsey whined and complained and Landry let him get it all out before he told the guy what an idiot he was. It was really amazing to see just how many places in the galaxy that Earth had visited in the short span of a decade. And yet there were still so many more places out there to explore…

A warm presence at this side made Daniel smile. He didn't have to look to know it was Teal'c. "Hey, T. Jack let you escape?"

"Indeed. ColonelMitchell, ValaMalDoran, and I wished to discover the reason for your earlier summons." The Jaffa looked at the map his wise friend appeared so fascinated by. "What has occurred?"

"Hmph!" Vala, leaning up against the map on Daniel's other side, crossed her arms and huffed, watching Woolsey with a distinctly predatory gaze. "Him again? Why do your leaders not see how spineless a worm he truly is and get rid of him?"

"He might be annoying and, yes, spineless when it comes to dealing with intense situations, but he's good at bureaucracy." Mitchell tried not to sneer, but failed. "The government tries to keep their good bureaucrats as long as possible. Besides…he hasn't actually screwed up badly enough for them to feel the need to be rid of him. Yet."

"Yeah. As much as I don't like him and no matter how much his existence annoys me…" Daniel sighed, "He hasn't had it easy. And circumstances haven't been kind to him. He's only ever tried to do the right thing based on the information he had. It's just too bad that he can never seem to make the right choice at the right time."

"Jackson, your capacity to forgive never fails to astound me." Cam shook his head, then jerked a thumb at the man in question. "What's he doing here anyway?"

"Don't know." Daniel made a face. "He's too busy complaining to get around to stating his full purpose."

"Alright, Woolsey, that's enough." Landry barked sharply. Dick's mouth snapped shut immediately. "Your protests are noted. The decision is made, and that's the end of it. We have plenty of fine print to work out over the next few weeks, so get over it and concentrate! Now…what did you want? Or did you just come up here to waste my time complaining?"

Looking both chastised and offended at the same time, Woolsey cleared his throat and replied, "Of course not! I wanted to report that the debriefing of all the required parties are complete, and that all pertinent data and media has been collected. A full report will be forwarded to you by tomorrow afternoon."

"Good. And?" Landry stared him down expectantly with an air of impatience.

Woolsey frowned. "And I wish to report that Dr. Rayner has decided to continue his exhibition and lecture – under the programme's supervision – before tying up his personal affairs and moving to Colorado Springs to join the SGC." His gaze flicked to Daniel warily. "Dr. Gardner has also agreed to join the SGC under certain conditions she said you are aware of, Dr. Jackson?"

"Yes, sir." Daniel affirmed at Landry's inquiring glance. "It isn't much, General. The main thing was that she not sent out into the field – as in off-world. She – and I agree – doesn't believe she's ready to face that yet."

"I see. We can sit down and discuss specifics at a later time." Landry nodded waving the topic aside. "Was that all, Woolsey?"

"Yes, though I do want to be brought up-to-speed on this whole new team idea, and the findings SG1 have no doubt made concerning the artefacts they confiscated." Woolsey declared, drawing himself up to be standing ramrod straight. "At your earliest convenience, of course."

Landry glanced at his watch. "You might as well come back to the mountain with me, then. I have a briefing with SG6 in half an hour that I need to prepare for, but after that briefing we can chat."

"Thank you, General." Woolsey said politely, if not sincerely.

"Any orders for us, General?" Mitchell inquired, referring to SG1.

"Not at the moment. Just continue on with the artefacts for now, and let me know if anything new comes up."

"Yes, sir." Cam acknowledged, snapping a smart salute.

"Let's go get our stuff and get everything beamed down to the labs at the SGC." Daniel suggested, motioning for the others to come along. As they passed by, he paused long enough to speak to the _Odyssey_'s Communications Officer. "Major, stand ready to transport to the SGC when you hear from us, please."

"Certainly, Dr. Jackson!"

* * *

The weekend passed quickly enough – almost too quickly, if anyone bothered to ask Daniel. He kept himself busy enough to avoid thinking about Jack and his invitation, since whenever he did think about it, all he managed to do was to start second-guessing Jack's motives and himself for even considering putting himself, potentially, through more heartache and rejection. He was certain that he'd screw it all up again, just as he did every other meaningful relationship he'd ever had. After all these years, he had finally learned that he wasn't allowed to keep the people he loved most. Eventually they left, and it was usually his fault somehow.

By Sunday evening, despite his best efforts, he'd still managed to work himself up to an agitated, grouchy jerk who snapped and snarled at pretty much anyone who came near him. Which was how an unsuspecting Jack O'Neill (who tried _really_ hard to give Daniel the space he'd asked for to think by not pestering him in his lab all this time, all weekend) found the linguist at the end of Daniel's shift – or, the scheduled end, anyway. Said linguist was still buried in a translation, reference books lying open all over his work table and paper strewn haphazardly over…everything.

"Hel-lo!" Jack waltzed in like he'd never left and stopped dead in his tracks at the devastation of Daniel's lab/office and the sight of its dishevelled, blood-shot eyed, caffeine buzzed owner. The low snarl in both Ancient and Abydonian probably had something to do with it, too. Geez! Where did that boy learn such language? "Holy…Swiss cheese, Daniel! What happened?"

"I'm working." Was the short reply. "Go away." The pen in Daniel's hand never ceased scribbling away on the pad of paper at Daniel's elbow, and his gaze never left the object in front of him.

"Uh, no…can't." Jack put a carefully neutral expression on his face so as not to incite the angry beast, and cautiously approached with hands clearly visible and hanging loosely at his sides. "I haven't seen you this crazy thanks to a translation in years, Daniel. Why don't you take a break?"

With a curse that spoke of too much time around the Marines, Daniel plucked his glasses off his nose and tossed them on the notepad, turning to glare at the bane of his sanity. "What part of 'go away' do you not get, Jack? Too subtle for you?"

The corner of Jack's eye twitched slightly, the only sign of the wince he hid at the memory of when he'd once said those words to Daniel, when he should have just listened to the man. Well, he was listening now, and so far he was just confused as hell, because it seemed like Daniel was mad at him for something. "Bull's eye, Daniel. Your aim is as sharp as ever." Jack snarked, confusion letting his hurt and rising temper colour his tone. "I came to see if you wanted to go off-base for dinner, find you all wild-eyed and bitchy in the centre of a disaster zone, and – forgive me – got a little concerned. Obviously I've done something to offend your delicate sensibilities, so you may as well let me have it with both barrels."

Daniel's face crumpled and he dropped his head to his chest in abject misery, the arms coming up into the all-too-familiar self-hug Jack hated to see.

"I'm so sorry, Jack. No, you haven't done anything. I…it's all me, and I don't know why I took it out on you like that. I never meant…I mean, I didn't…"

Jack sighed and stepped up close, tossing an arm around Daniel's shoulders and hugging him to his side – ever aware of the security cameras. "Easy big guy. It's okay. You're a little stressed and I'm an easy target. And I'd guess you've hardly eaten or slept in at least 24 hours, right?" Daniel nodded and continued to hang his head in apology and shame. "Wanna tell me why? Maybe I can help somehow."

Daniel shook his head and leaned into Jack briefly before pushing himself up to his feet unsteadily from the stool he'd been perched on for far too long. His butt was numb, for crying out loud! "It's nothing you can do anything about, Jack, but thanks. It's just…my mind being too busy for its own good and not shutting off when I want it to."

Ah. So that was it. Maybe it was a mistake after all to have left Daniel alone with his thoughts all weekend as Jack had. His usually wonderfully imaginative brain probably came up with all kinds of off-the-wall reasoning and objectives for Jack's invitation, followed by all kinds of scenarios and their (more than likely) unhappy consequences. Well, if there was one thing Jack knew how to do, it was how to distract a worked-up, stressed-out archaeologist.

"I see. If you're sure… Okay, so is this thing you're working on urgent?" Jack indicated the object of distinctly Goa'uld-ish design.

"Um, not particularly. SG10 found it and brought it back months ago. I was…just curious what it says." Daniel replied rubbing his raw eyes and blinking owlishly at it.

"Good, so you have no excuse to stay here any longer than the end of your shift." Jack declared, hoisting the rather heavy artefact with both hands and moving it away from Daniel. "Supper, Daniel. Then a very good night's sleep. That's all you need to think about right now, so go change and meet me topside in 20 minutes."

"Oh. But…" Daniel frowned, looking at his watch then at Jack, then around his office. "I really should…"

"No, you really shouldn't. Ah, ah!" Jack waggled a finger at the protest dying on Daniel's tongue. "Don't make me pull rank, Dr. Jackson."

A baleful stare was his response.

"Okay, don't make me call for reinforcements then." The General grumbled, having known the threat of making it an order wouldn't fly with a man who never had nor ever would follow an order from Jack. The threat of calling in his teammates – particularly Teal'c – to forcibly remove Daniel was a much more effective method of persuasion. "Well? Snap to it, Spacemonkey!" He snapped his fingers for emphasis.

Muttering under his breath in Abydonian, Daniel plunked his glasses back on his face and started tidying up. "Just let me clean this up, first. I can't leave it all like this.

"Fine. I'd help, but I know you have your own unique organizational methods that I – or anyone else for that matter – have yet to comprehend. And Heaven forbid I should misfile something." Jack perched his butt on the abandoned stool and watched in amusement.

"Which is why I am constantly surprised that they not only gave you stars," Daniel gestured with a fistful of papers to Jack's collar on his BDU shirt where the two stars of his commission were found, "but put you to work in bureaucracy central."

"Boggles the mind, don't it?" Jack beamed cheekily. "But then, they hire people like Woolsey, so…"

Daniel straightened, giving the older man a completely serious stare. "Don't ever compare yourself with that little weasel, Jack. Not in _any_ way." Looking away and stacking his papers carefully, trying to hide the heat crawling up his neck, Daniel continued, "You're a better man than most of those people in the Pentagon. So you aren't so good at paperwork? So what? You're a true leader, Jack, and an honourable and courageous man. A hero. That's more important."

Touched – and a little embarrassed – Jack fought not to squirm uncomfortably. "Yeah, well, I wouldn't go that far. I just do the job I'm supposed to do, that's all. If that makes me…all those things, then fine, I guess." He grabbed a pen and started fiddling with it. "It's not like I go looking for it."

Finished the quick version of his tidying, Daniel smiled and dropped a hand on Jack's shoulder, squeezing gently. "I know. Hey," he waited until Jack met his gaze. "You know Charlie would be so proud of you, right? For everything you've done since?"

Jack managed a crooked smile and awkwardly patted the hand on his shoulder. No one but Daniel could say something like that to Jack, without being frozen out for daring to, and almost have Jack believing it.

Recognizing that Jack wasn't going to say a thing on that subject, Daniel let it drop, along with the hand on his shoulder. "It's clean enough now. I'll go change and be up top right away, alright?"

"Yeah." Agreeing easily and with relief, Jack hopped of the stool and followed Daniel to the elevator.

Jack left Daniel to go change in his quarters while he, himself, went to get changed in the private locker/gear-up room that belonged to SG1 – where Jack's locker still existed. As he was about to walk in, he heard a couple of familiar voices.

"So, Teal'c…about this 'special mission' that General O'Neill has us doing for Jackson…" Cam inquired in a hesitantly curious tone. Jack paused beyond the door to listen in.

"ColonelMitchell, was there some task you do not understand?" Teal'c asked mildly. There was a slight warning to his voice, one which Jack silently thanked his old friend for, but hoped he wouldn't enforce unless Mitchell reacted badly.

"No. The tasks I got quite clearly. What I don't understand is the _why_ of it. I mean, I believe – from all those reports I've read – that the General and Daniel were very good friends, that they've been through a lot of experiences together – stuff that _wasn't_ in the reports – and that General O'Neill wants to do something exceedingly nice for him…but giving him his own house? Having some renovations made to it just to suit someone else? Major renos, mind, not just fixing a few tiny things. I suspect…things but I don't _know_. Ya know?"

Jack sighed. The kid had a point, when he put it like that. Maybe the whole thing _was_ going a bit far right off the bat. Then again, Mitchell didn't know Daniel as Jack did, and he knew that when it came to proving that you loved the innocently oblivious putz – body, mind, heart, and soul – it took beating Daniel over the head with the grandest, most in-your-face evidence accompanied by three little, simple, serious words. For Sha're (as Daniel once confessed) it had taken being teased for doing women's work – a _wife's_ work – by Skaara and friends, and Sha're confessing that she hadn't told them that he 'hadn't wanted her' to make the poor guy see. It was an 'Oh by the way, we're married; didn't want to tell you because you obviously didn't want me that way,' sort of clue bus Daniel got hit with, but he caught on quickly after that.

"They are indeed the very closest of friends, ColonelMitchell, something I had long since feared was lost to us all, just as DanielJackson once was. I must confess that it pleases me greatly to see that O'Neill has finally realized it and intends to continue mending their broken relationship. I believe it can only be stronger now and grow beyond its former status."

"Probably, yeah. I mean, any kind of relationship does that when it's the kind that's meant to be – and I'm not just talking about friends here." There was a pause where Jack could just _see_ Teal'c's head-bow of agreement. Then Cam continued, "Look, I realize it's none of my business, and that by the rules and regs I live under I'm not supposed to ask and you're not to tell…but the curiosity is killing me! Were they ever…?"

"We cannot speak of it, ColonelMitchell. I have learned much in my time with the Tau'ri, particularly of these rules and regulations that your warrior societies hold in such high regard. I have been cautioned about certain rules many times, rules that I find archaic, pointless, and quite ridiculous. I will say only that love is love, no matter with whom such a glorious and rare emotion can be found, and that sometimes love is not expressed as early as it should have been because sometimes there were events and experiences that must occur to prepare the individuals for it."

"Okay. That was sufficiently cryptic. But I think I get it. They are but they haven't because it wasn't the right time. I can understand that." Mitchell sounded like his mind was flying through facts and instincts and his own understandings as he spoke. "I never pictured either of them as potentially…as capable of… Well."

Teal'c's voice was neutral and careful with his reply. "Does this knowledge disturb you, ColonelMitchell? Does this knowledge affect your vision of them?"

"What? No!" Jack's mouth tilted up at the corners a little at the indignation behind the denial. "I'm not one of those Tau'ri, Teal'c, who are small-minded and bigoted and that's probably why I have some trouble reconciling the reality to the stereotypes, the not always true images that we're fed by the media, by that ridiculous regulation in the military, by many major religious institutions, and by those bigoted fools I mentioned. But, no, I don't have a problem with it – or them."

"That is good. I would have very much disliked having to attempt to persuade you otherwise."

"So would I, my friend." Cam laughed, albeit a tad nervously. Jack just smirked to himself. "So, you don't believe in love at first sight, then?"

"I did not say that."

"Sure, you said…" Cam stopped himself, "Oh. No, you didn't. Never mind."

"For myself, it was so with Drey'ac, my deceased wife and mother to my son." Jack raised an eyebrow, Teal'c style. My, my the Jaffa was uncharacteristically chatty today.. He usually had very little to say voluntarily, unless asked something directly or to inquire directly of someone himself. And he rarely volunteered personal anecdotes. "And perhaps with Ishta, also. They were both strong, wise, and courageous Jaffa women."

"So I've read and heard. I would have liked to meet them. I've never seen it or experienced it myself, but I do believe in it. I'd like to think I'll find something like that myself, someday. I know my Mom sure wishes I do." Cam chuckled.

"Indeed, ColonelMitchell. Mothers seem to universally wish such things for their children – except for the Goa'uld or the Ori, certainly."

Jack smiled, feeling oddly content. He was immensely glad that Mitchell seemed to have won over the gentle Jaffa warrior so well. Teal'c made a new friend, one that he apparently felt comfortable talking to and trusted beyond even a teammate – just as he'd once trusted Jack and still did. Teal'c needed someone like that in his life, a warrior brother among the Tau'ri who understood things as he did, who understood _him_ even though he was Jaffa. It relieved Jack to know that Mitchell (although he hadn't _replaced_ Jack, per se) the young officer had certainly filled a hole in the SG1 dynamic that made the team SG1.

Deciding he'd eavesdropped long enough, Jack pushed away from the wall and strolled in with ultra-casual General-type swagger.

"Good evening, campers!" He tossed out the greeting loudly, making Mitchell jump visibly. Teal'c, ever unflappable, merely tilted his head in a bow of greeting.

"O'Neill. I thought you were dining out with DanielJackson this night."

"Hey, T. As you were, Mitchell." Jack waved Cam down from standing and saluting. "I am. Just came to change into some civies. I refuse to go to O'Malley's, drink good beer and stuff myself with excellent steak while stuck in this uniform. It's an affront to my steak dinner."

"Sir." Mitchell's expression was hilarious. Teal'c, far too used to Jack's humour and irreverent comments, simply agreed.

"Indeed."

Jack went to his locker and proceeded to strip off his dress blues, hanging them neatly in his locker before pulling out a pair of brand new, dark denim pants and buttoned black shirt. "What are you gents up to this evening?" He dug around for a clean pair of socks.

"We will engage in a boxing battle before partaking of the…excellent food of the commissary." Teal'c replied, holding up the t-shirt and shorts he usually wore to box. Jack grinned at the ever subtle Jaffa sarcasm.

"Which means he'll beat the crap outta me then make up for it with food." Cam drawled, finding the sarcasm in another part of Teal'c's statement.

"Such is the Jaffa way, Colonel Mitchell." Jack declared with mock wisdom. He stuffed his feet in a pair of well-worn running shoes, and stood up, grabbing his beaten old leather bomber jacket and slipping it on. "I'm gone, boys. Have fun!" He waved over his shoulder as he walked out the locker room door. Jack stopped instantly, however, at Teal'c's solemn, "O'Neill."

"Hmm?"

"You will secure DanielJackson's presence at your cabin, will you not? I know he has not agreed to the excursion as of yet."

Jack stuffed his hands in his pockets and met his friend's gaze steadily, sensing that humour was not the way to go on this topic. He was not one to be intimidated by Teal'c's imposing bulk and stature, nor stoic Jaffa stare. "That's the plan, yes."

"Good. His temperament of late has been quite disagreeable. You are the only once capable of reversing that."

"Why, T! I'm flattered you think I have that kind of magical power." Jack drawled sarcastically. "No one has the power to do anything to Daniel he doesn't want done, particularly regarding his moods." Jack paused, then winked. "But I sure do try!"

Teal'c actually smiled. "I do not believe your statement to be entirely correct, O'Neill, however I will say no more so long as you continue to try."

Jack nodded, "Scouts honour, T." He made the sign, then shrugged at Teal'c's raised eyebrow. "My word as an officer and a gentleman?"

"Ah."

Jack turned, then looked back at the two. "Oh, if you both wouldn't mind…around, say 2030, why don't you round up the ladies of SG1 and meet me at the house for a bit. I'll call Ferretti and get him to join us."

"As you wish, O'Neill. It would be quite good to see LouFerretti once again."

"Yes, sir. I believe Sam was on her way to the airport to pick up Cassandra Fraiser, but they should be back in time." Mitchell responded readily.

"Good! Call Carter, let her know, and tell her to bring Cass, too." Jack smiled. The young woman was family, too, after all. "See you later! I'd better go before Daniel gets tired of waiting and dives back into work."

* * *

Rather than O'Malley's, they ended up at the newest Italian restaurant in town, Café Roma, when Jack asked Daniel of there were someplace in particular he wanted to try. Jack was agreeable. After all, the Italians invented pizza – American Italians, but still. It turned out to be a tad fancier than Jack expected (though not so fancy that they couldn't get away with their dark jeans and nice shirts), and was real Roman Italian cuisine instead of American Italian (meaning no pizza), but even then Jack couldn't find a reason for complaint. He even let Daniel choose and order a bottle of wine.

The whole evening was beginning to smack distinctly of 'date,' even if Daniel was too oblivious to catch on.

Once the waiter disappeared with their orders, there was a long moment of silence. It wasn't awkward or uncomfortable – they were just too in tune with each other to be otherwise – but neither man seemed to be able to find something to say, which was an oddity in and of itself. And that fact was glaringly painful to Jack, indicative of just how far their friendship had fallen.

"So…" he began, fiddling with his glass of wine.

"So…" Daniel agreed, blue eyes regarding his friend with interest. The linguist could see he was at a loss for something productive to start a conversation about – some topic that wasn't too deep and personal for a public, if not crowded, restaurant. He obviously didn't want to push the invitation either. Daniel realized then, that for all his own insecurities about this whole situation, Jack had a few of his own. The battle-worn officer across from him was afraid to say or do anything that might cause a setback, and appeared to be even more afraid that he didn't know where the lines were anymore; when did he speak his mind and when did he keep his mouth shut? When did he push Daniel and when not? Daniel could almost _hear_ the thoughts spinning around in Jack's head, could _see_ the hesitancy and frustration on his face. Yet Daniel had no idea how to go about setting those worries straight for Jack, as Daniel himself was just as confused.

"This is really pathetic." Jack grumbled, frowning darkly into his wine glass. "Since when have I had problems making small talk? With _you_, no less."

"Have we ever _really_ had small talk, Jack?" Daniel asked, amused in spite of himself. "When our conversations weren't work-related, or in reference to Abydos, Sha're or Charlie, the few topics we actually discussed were hockey, politics, or the Simpsons. Or the O'Neill philosophy of life in fishing." That earned a small smirk from Jack, but it didn't last long. "I don't think we've ever _needed_ small talk, Jack. So why start now?"

"Because…" Jack took a sip of his wine and leaned forward in his seat. "We're trying to start over, to re-establish ourselves. And we can't really talk about the more…meaningful things here in public. And, I guess…I don't want to screw it all up again. I couldn't live with that, Daniel." His eyes met Daniel's across the table, the low lighting and muted glow of the candles on the table giving them a glitter of gold behind the amber brown. It gave Daniel some unexpectedly pleasant tingles.

"Jack…"

"No, Daniel. Like I've said, I know just what shade of bastard I've been and I will fight – to the death – for the relationship, friendship…_whatever_…we had. To get it back again and maybe even make it more." Jack looked and spoke so fervently and with such sincerity and seriousness that Daniel closed his mouth and just let him speak. "You are and always will be, to me, my best friend, no matter what else. If…if this shouldn't work out, though… God, I didn't want to get into this now! Tonight!" He rubbed his face with both hands and slid his fingers into his silvered hair to grip fistfuls tightly. "I'm sorry."

Daniel wished desperately that he could reach across the table and grip the other man's hand, and never let go. But he couldn't, so he relied on his voice to convey what he needed Jack to know. "It's alright, Jack. Making up isn't an easy thing to do, and…I think I can safely say that fixing whatever's still broken between us is something we _both_ want very badly. And you're right, we can't have the talk we want and need to have here and now. But…will it rest your mind to know that we will? We have a whole week to hash it all out, Jack."

Jack's eyes widened at the implication there, hope practically radiating from him at Daniel's words. "Do we, Danny? You…you've decided?"

"Yeah." Daniel smiled softly, almost shyly. His own eyes widened slightly as a shimmer of moisture trickled down Jack's cheek and his eyes closed in painful relief as he swiped quickly at the tears self-consciously. As weird as it was (and as guilty for it as it made Daniel feel) the younger man realized he really _was_ _**that**_ important to this strong, independent man from just that moment of unhidden emotion, and Daniel felt a surge of hope and relief for himself and all those long-ago dreams he'd once entertained before everything had unravelled around him, leaving him out in the cold and dark all alone again.

"Thank you, Danny. You don't know what that means to me." Jack's eyes were still a tad shiny and wet, but they were bright, and happy, and the smile on his face was genuine. If they'd been alone, sans audience, he'd have been across the table with arms around Daniel's body and lips catching Daniel's in a kiss that was as full of lust as it was of happy gratitude. Jack promised himself then and there that if he ever got the opportunity, he'd seize it and spend hours just kissing his archaeologist insensible. No more, no less.

To his surprise and interest, Daniel actually blushed and stared into his own wine glass shyly, unable to keep his gaze locked on Jack's. "I think I do, actually."

Jack tilted his head curiously in question, reaching to refill his mysteriously empty glass with the bottle sitting off to the side of their table in a bucket. He poured for himself, then Daniel when the younger man held out his glass while elaborating.

"I think…we've both wanted things, and maybe we've both let a lot of other stuff distract us and get between us. And I think maybe we've been afraid to let each other know what we wanted because we dreaded millions of possible consequences – and saw only the bad ones." Daniel sipped at his wine, feeling much calmer and less restricted in what he said to this man than he had in so long it was ridiculous. "We let the bad overshadow the possible good, and we didn't choose to fight for what we wanted anyway."

Jack's smile was a little grim, but Daniel could see the agreement in his expression. "So we're finally working up the balls, then? Doing what we've done all these years in battling," his eyes flicked around, remembering their public venue, and his voice lowered, "our various snakes and bugs with all we had despite how bleak and dark it sometimes got?"

"Yeah. Something like that." Daniel smiled softly.

The waiter appeared at that point with their first courses, and silence descended on them again for the rest of the meal as they gave in to their stomachs. This time, however, the silence was a comfortable, relaxed one that was reminiscent of their former companionship. A fact that was not lost on, nor went unappreciated, by either man.

* * *

{Jack}

At one point in the meal, Jack excused himself to use the washroom, and on the way back to the table, he placed a quick phone call to Ferretti to pass on the request to meet SG1 at Jack's house later that evening. Lou had readily agreed, and Jack spent the rest of his evening with an increasingly sleepy Daniel in a constant state of excitement and anticipation – though he managed to keep it from the linguist somehow. Or maybe Daniel was just too exhausted to notice Jack's enthusiasm.

Dropping Daniel off at the Mountain proved to be a challenge, though. Jack had to come up with a plausible lie as to why he wasn't returning with Daniel; it seemed the archaeologist had been aware that Jack had not left the SGC all weekend.

"Uh…actually, I'm at a hotel in town tonight, Daniel." Jack said, boldly lying right through his teeth. "I have a few minor travel arrangements for our trip that I've got to work out, and I really didn't feel like spending another night on base."

Apparently he lied well enough to pacify Daniel's curiosity. The man yawned and nodded sleepily as he climbed out of Jack's rental trunk. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow, then. When do we leave?"

"Around 1030." Jack gave Daniel a little wave. "Go on, get to bed before you fall over. You'll have time to pack and all tomorrow morning. I'll bring you Starbucks or something."

Daniel yawned again, morphing the smile drastically that came over him at Jack's thoughtful bribe. "I don't care where you get it, Jack, as long as it's good coffee. See you tomorrow, then."

"Yeah." Jack grinned and watched Daniel wander away toward the security checkpoint. "Good night, Danny." He murmured, then left the Mountain for the house and his co-conspirators.

* * *

When Jack pulled up in his former driveway, he found only Ferretti already there. Glancing at his watch, he noted he was a little earlier than the rest of SG1 as he slid out of the vehicle and sauntered over to where Ferretti was waiting for him, leaning against his car casually.

"Hey! Welcome back, sir!" Lou greeted him with a wide grin and a warm handshake. "How's it going?"

"Hey, Lou. It's very good to _be_ back." Jack replied fervently. "And so far…pretty well. Everything is progressing steadily in the right direction."

Lou smiled at the obvious contentment that surrounded his former CO. He couldn't ever remember seeing the hardened officer so at ease and generally happy. "That's good. I'm glad for it, Jack. So!" He clapped his hands together and rubbed them together eagerly. "You want a quick tour before the rest show up?"

"Hell, yes! Lead on, McDuff!" Jack motioned for Lou to proceed him. "Take point, Ferretti."

Lou pulled out the house key and unlocked the front door, stopping inside and flicking on the light switches. "Okay. So, we did what you wanted in here." He stepped out of the way so Jack could see. "Took out that wall and that wall, which _really_ opened up the place, and I got that nice island counter installed in place of that wall between your dining area and the kitchen."

"Wow. This is great!" Jack stood in what used to be his living room and looked down the length of the house to his kitchen, his view unimpeded by the two walls that once separated the three rooms from each other. "It's wa-ay bigger than I thought it would be."

"Sure is. Plenty of room for the Doc's stuff, though, including his baby grande." Lou reminded Jack, who nodded absently and moved to check out the new island counter in the kitchen. He could easily picture Daniel puttering around cooking. "I went for granite tile instead of solid granite for the countertop. I hope you don't mind. It was a hell of a lot cheaper, and I got an excellent deal for it."

"It's perfect, Lou. You've got good taste." Jack ran his hands over the granite surface appreciatively.

"Hah. Tell it to my wife. She won't let me touch anything in our house." Lou rolled his eyes. "But come on. You haven't seen the _really_ good stuff yet." He led Jack from the kitchen to the front hall, but instead of going upstairs he stopped at a new set of oak French doors. With a grand flourish, Lou opened both doors and walked in. "I think you'll be pleased with the results, Jack." He said, flicking on the lights.

Jack stood in the open door and stared, awed and amazed at the expanse of room – though empty of furniture or accessories – and found himself speechless. Slowly he moved inside what used to be his own home office, once a tiny, one windowed room that was hardly bigger than the main floor bathroom and what was now a sprawling space with floor to ceiling windows on one wall, floor to ceiling bookshelves along two more walls (surrounding both the oak French doors and a huge fireplace), and a cozy little bay window on the last wall that was farthest from where Jack stood. Next to the bay window was another set of French doors – made of both oak and glass.

Lou watched with pride as Jack slowly walked around the newly extended study, taking in every detail. "Well? What's the verdict?"

"Amazing. Truly, Lou." Jack gave the heartfelt compliment without hesitation. "You do fantastic work."

"Why thank you, sir." Lou gave him a little bow, á la Teal'c, and grinned at Jack's eye roll. "Check out the deck, Jack. Well, you might not get the full effect, but the idea, at least."

Nodding and already heading for the glass and oak doors. Jack stepped outside and walked out onto the extended deck that now wrapped all the way along the additions Jack commissioned Lou to make. Although it ate up a large chunk of his backyard and garden area, the General couldn't find a speck of regret or disappointment for it. This had turned out far better than Jack had imagined, and he really hoped Daniel would love it and accept it for the home Jack desperately wanted to give him.

Sniffing, Jack wiped at his eyes and cursed his emotional reaction. _Don't be getting ahead of yourself, O'Neill._ He admonished himself. _There are no guarantees, and you never know how Daniel will react to something like this._ Heading back inside, he gave Ferretti two thumbs up and a wide smirk. "Excellent, Lou. Totally."

"Ah, but I haven't even shown you the bonus prize." Lou winked at Jack's surprised look and walked over to a spot near the end of the wall of windows. He pointed up, then grabbed a rope dangling from the ceiling as Jack's eyes followed. "Pull on this, and…voila!" There was a soft 'click' and suddenly the piece of ceiling began to break away, slowly descending to the floor to reveal a hidden set of stairs. Intrigued, Jack followed Ferretti up the stairs until they reached a door.

"Where's this lead?" Jack wanted to know. Lou grinned mysteriously and opened the door. A cool blast of outdoor air told Jack it led outside, and the two men exited to find themselves on top of Jack's roof, above the study. A large portion of the flat surface was actually a miniature deck of sorts. "Lou?"

"Well, the ideal situation is that it's not all about the Doc, right? It's for you to live here just as happily ever after. So, I figured…you could use a newer, larger observation deck for your telescope and maybe a second one? At least you'd have room for both of you up here, and it's sheltered from the view of all your neighbours by the rest of the house…"

Jack closed his eyes and raised his face to the stars. Goddamn it! He was going to cry! Just break down and bawl like a child rather than be the tough, badass General he was. His eyes opened as the sound of car doors slamming and the low murmur of voices approaching the house told him the others were here. He opened his mouth to speak, but found he couldn't get any sound out. His throat was too thick.

Seeming to understand (and having heard the arrival of SG1, too) Lou dropped a hand on Jack's shoulder briefly and moved past him. "I'll go stall your team, sir. Take a few minutes." He said gently before disappearing.

Alone, Jack's legs wobbled and he sat down abruptly on the hard, wood surface of the deck. One shaky, inhaled breath later, tears poured down his face. For the first time since that fateful, original night of Daniel's Ascension, Jack O'Neill wept.

Only this time, it was with hope and shy happiness rather than the despair and grief and sadness of last time.

* * *

Cassandra Fraiser wandered around the open, empty space of her Uncle Jack's home, taking in the changes and speculating about the causes for such changes. She'd been surprised when Sam had called her to tell her that she was getting an entire week off, and that Uncle Jack had asked Sam and SG1 to do him a big, personal favour during that time. She had not, however, been surprised when Sam, upon Cassie's insistence that she fly home and help out, too, told her young friend about her conversations with Jack and the understandings they'd reached (albeit without great details). Thanks to her mother, Janet Fraiser, and her own observations and opinions, Cassie had known all along that there was much more to the relationship between her two favourite Uncles, despite the way things appeared between Jack and Sam, and despite how Sam had believed she'd felt.

Being an alien human had the advantage of not necessarily having certain prejudices and beliefs instilled in her, even though she had grown up during some of those important, impressionable teenaged years here on Earth. Thus, she had no societal pre-conceptions about the supposed 'wrongness' of a relationship (of a romantic nature) between persons of the same gender. She'd left Hanka, her home planet, at too young an age to remember if her people had thought as many of the Tau'ri seemed to, and when she'd grown up enough to understand such things, she'd had Janet Fraiser for a mother. A woman whose compassion and love of life had rubbed off on her adopted daughter, and who had taught Cassandra to never cater to the bigoted beliefs of others when it went against what her heart told her.

Not really listening as Lou Ferretti regaled Cassie and Sam with the details of the work he'd done, the young woman let herself drift down memory lane. She had plenty of wonderful memories here, in this house. SGC functions and private, SG1 family BBQs among them.

But she also remembered how, late one evening, her mother had finally come home exhausted in every possible way with the worst news imaginable: her Uncle Daniel was gone – dead or not, no one was really positive. "_He Ascended_," Janet had explained to her horrified daughter when she told her of what had happened on Kelowna, "_and we don't know for certain what that means. But he's gone, Cassie, honey_."

They had cried together, Cassie remembered. Grieved together for the loss of a gentle, wonderful man who had done so much for both of them, who had loved them and whom they loved in return – even if neither side had ever really spoken of it. Cassie also remembered that early the next morning, while Janet slept like a rock, Cassie had felt compelled to leave the house extra early (even though she wasn't going to school that day). She'd slipped out and walked the surprisingly long distance to her Uncle Jack's house.

No one else – not even Janet – knew she'd been there that morning. She'd gotten home before Janet woke up from her much-needed slumber. And so no one but Cassie and Jack knew the true extent of the grief and loneliness Jack went through that initial period after Daniel's Ascension.

**XXXOOOXXX**

At first she'd thought no one was home, but the same compulsion that had brought her there told her to go up the ladder at the side of the house to the tiny observatory on the roof. It was there that she'd found her Uncle Jack, staring up at the sky – now devoid of stars – with dried tear tracks on his face and dull, anguished brown eyes that seemed to hold a knowledge and weight of emotion far beyond what any one soul should ever have to suffer.

"_Uncle Jack?_" She'd inquired softly, almost timidly, unsure of her welcome and intrusion of his immensely private grief. "_Uncle Jack, it's me. Cassie…_" Tears of her own began to fall again at the absolute desolation of Jack's expression when his head rolled lethargically to look at her, as if he couldn't even work up more energy than that to actually turn toward her.

"_Cass…_" his voice was hoarse, and gruff, but not angry. Actually, it held nothing but pure sadness and…guilt, though she had no idea why at the time. "_Why are you here? You should be at home…_"

She shook her head emphatically at that, laying her hand on his shoulder. "_Mom's asleep, and I'm not going to school for a couple of days. Something…_" she paused, frowning to herself and wiping away the moisture from her face. It sounded weird, but she didn't know how else to explain it. "_Something told me to come here, Uncle Jack. So I did. I was worried._"

Nodding, as if it wasn't weird at all and he knew exactly what she meant, Jack opened his arms. "_Come here._"

Cassie crawled into his lap, then, like the little girl she'd once been when they'd first met. She laid her ear to his chest, lulled by his heartbeat, and he held her tightly as they grieved in silence.

At one point, Jack had begun to speak, although Cassie had been pretty sure he didn't realize it. It wasn't anything deep or introspective, or about things an adult had no business speaking of to a young girl – a teenager and an intelligent one at that – who was older in mentality than her age supposed. They were merely memories of Daniel, of their original Abydos mission, of later missions and adventures and close calls. And Jack spoke of regrets – things he'd wanted to do with Daniel, to do _for_ Daniel. Things he wished he'd told Daniel in his last conscious moments. All through it, Cassie had listened, just listened, and held onto her Uncle fiercely even though she was sure he didn't even realize she was still there anymore.

She knew then that Jack loved Daniel with all his heart and soul. She also knew that Jack hadn't quite figured that out yet. But she somehow sensed that he would buy a clue, eventually, and somehow she knew that everything would be alright.

Suddenly she could feel a warm, loving presence – a very familiar one.

It felt like Daniel.

Cassandra never told anyone what she'd sensed – what she'd _seen_ – that day. The presence she felt became a physical sensation in the form of a very soft breeze that brushed across her skin. Unable to move, with her head still resting on Jack's chest, she could see, off to the side, the misty form of her Uncle Daniel, perched on the floor of the observatory at the ladder with one leg dangling off the side and one knee bent as he watched them with a sad little smile. He waved and raised a finger to his lips, warning her to keep quiet. Then she 'heard' his voice, even though his mouth never moved.

_I'm so sorry to have left so suddenly, Cassandra, and I hope you know how much I love you and miss you already. But don't be sad, okay? I think I'll be gone for a while, but…I'll never be so far away that if you need me I won't be there._ Daniel smiled again, this time his eyes on Jack – who lay oblivious and still talking under Cassie. _I'll apologize for…nudging you in Jack's direction, too. But…I think out of everyone else, you are exactly who he needs right now, and to be honest, there is no one else that could just _**listen**. _He can't share his grief with anyone, Cassie, and he needs to or it will eat him alive – even though he _**knows**_ I'm not _**really**_ dead and gone. I…_ Daniel seemed to falter, worry etched on his features, his eyes shifting from Jack back to Cassie's own sad eyes. _It's my fault. I asked him to let me go, even though I _knew_ what it would do to him. No matter what else may have been going on, he still cared about me as a friend. Just…take care of him, okay? And Janet, and Sam, and Teal'c, too._ He looked away, as if listening to something, then turned back looking regretful and wistful.

_I have to go now, Cassie. Oma let me make sure someone was going to be looking out for my family, but I don't think she intended for me to be talking to any of you. Remind Jack that I'm still around, and that he'd better not do this wallow-in-grief thing for long or I'll have to kick his ass._ Daniel waved again, just sort of…fading away in the light. _Goodbye, Cassie. Take care of the family for me, sweetheart._

And then he was gone.

**XXXOOOXXX**

"Cassie? Cass, honey, are you alright?" Sam's voice broke through her memory and she turned to smile up at Sam reassuringly.

"I'm fine, Sam. Just thinking."

Sam and Lou laughed. "I could tell! The wheels were really turning." Sam glanced at the front door at the sound of car doors closing outside. "Oh, that must be Cameron, Vala, and Teal'c."

"Great! Gang's all here!" Lou beamed.

Cassie smiled faintly. "Where's Uncle Jack, though?"

Lou gave her a fond pat on the shoulder. "He's up on the new observatory deck. He needed a few minutes alone so I came to let you lovely ladies inside." Seeing the slight frown of concern on both women's faces, he took Cassie's hand and led her down the hall to the new study. "Why don't you go get him, Cassandra? I have a feeling he'd really like to see you."

The young woman nodded, barely noticing the grandeur of the room as she crossed quickly to the stairs and hurried up them. Lou went to the door to let the rest of SG1 in, but found Sam had already done so.

* * *

Cassie opened the door and stepped outside, spotting her uncle immediately. She closed the door softly and walked over to sit down next to him, pretending not to notice the moisture on his face. "Hey, Uncle Jack."

Jack had, of course, heard her come out to find him, so he wasn't startled by her quiet, concerned voice suddenly breaking his thoughts. He raised his arm and draped it around her shoulders, pulling her close to snuggle against his side. Her arm came up to curl around him in return. "Hey, Cass. I'm glad you came. We've really missed you." He kissed the top of her head and returned to staring out at nothing. He didn't mind at all that she was here. With this girl – no longer a child – he'd never felt he had to hide his emotions or any of the bad things in life from her, and she seemed to be far older and wiser than her age (which was no doubt understandable due to her childhood spent as one of Nirti's experiments, the death of her people, and having to cope with all of that as the sole survivor). In many ways, she was a great deal like Daniel, which probably helped Jack to talk to her about things he wouldn't with anyone else (save Daniel).

"I wouldn't be anywhere else. I miss all of you, too." She replied, squeezing him with her arm in an affectionate hug.

"How's school going? Have you made any new friends?" Jack asked, his hand rubbing up and down her upper arm over her jacket absently. He couldn't help it, he was a tactile person – particularly with kids, dogs, and archaeologists named Daniel Jackson.

"It's good. I like my classes, and yeah, I've made a few friends. But…I still miss you and Daniel and Teal'c and Sam."

"Yeah. Going off to university is tough. But it's worth it."

"I know." Cassie looked up at him. "Sam filled me in on your plans for the house, Uncle Jack. She said you were planning to turn it over to Uncle Daniel."

Jack smiled a bit wryly. "If he'll _let_ me. You know Daniel. He has a hard time accepting his worth to people and the nice things we try to do for him."

"Yes, but this isn't about that, is it?" Cassie poked him with a finger. "Are you really going to try and…well, 'marry' him?" She giggled at Jack's blush. "About damn time! What _took_ you so long?"

"Cassandra Fraiser!" Jack blinked down at her in mild horror. He still wasn't used to the fact that she was all grown-up (no matter her mental age). She also did a damn fine impression of an unimpressed Teal'c with that raised eyebrow. "Er…I'm a first class idiot?" Jack sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "A lot of things happened, Cass. But this whole trip to the cabin thing is supposed to give us time to work all that out, and hopefully end up here. And do you know how much you sound just like your Napoleonic mother?"

Smirking, Cassie shrugged carelessly. "I learn from the best."

Jack grinned.

"Everyone's here now, by the way." Cassie added, getting up and reaching down to give the man a hand when his knees creaked badly. "We should go in."

"Yeah. Thanks for helping this old man with the noisy knees."

Cassie scoffed. "You're not old, Uncle Jack." Pausing at the door, she glanced up at him. "You okay, now?"

He smiled and gently brushed some hair out of her eyes. "I'm good. I wasn't really upset, honey. I think…just overwhelmed with happiness for once."

Smiling back, she opened the door and went in. "He's going to love it, Uncle Jack, so don't worry."

"Ya think?" Jack followed her, his voice coloured in hopeful apprehension. Cassie stopped at the bottom of the stairs, looked around, then gestured with both arms.

"With _this_? Yeah, sure, you betcha!" Jack seemed to straighten slightly as he beamed at her for using his catch-phrase. Then she winked at him and said as she walked away, "Almost as much as he loves you, I bet."

Jack's eyes went wide and he blushed, flustered. "Cassandra!"

Her peals of laughter led him right out to the others in the living room.

"You are one devious young lady." Jack declared as he strolled in. "Hey, campers! Thanks for coming." He waved Sam and Mitchell down, as they'd begun to get up off the floor at his appearance from where they all sat. "Cut that out, you two."

Sam settled back down, smiling sheepishly. "Sorry, sir. Habit. So what did you call this little meeting for?"

"I wanted you all to see the place, and get a feel for where to put stuff and whatever else might be needed to fill in the blanks, so to speak." Jack replied, leaning on one elbow against the mantle of the fireplace. "Besides, I hadn't seen the finished project yet, myself! Had to give Lou the chance to show off his skill and craftsmanship."

Lou grinned. "Why thank you, General, sir!" He snapped off a smart salute. Jack flipped him a good-natured, one-fingered salute in return.

"The study is beautiful, Lou." Cassie praised. "And everything else is pretty great, too."

"Indeed, LouFerretti. I had not previously known of your skill as a tradesperson. It is quite impressive." Teal'c added his own compliments.

"Thank you, my big Jaffa friend! I appreciate that you appreciate it."

"Oh! And I nearly forgot… Cassandra Fraiser, meet the newest members of SG1." Jack introduced the young woman to Mitchell and Vala. "That's Lt. Col. Cameron Mitchell, and that's Vala MalDoran. Guys, this is Cassie."

Cassie, standing beside Jack and Teal'c (on the floor at her feet), smiled a little and waved. "Hi. Nice to meet you. Sam's told me about you both."

Cam was at his charming Southern best, bestowing an easy smile and a warm gaze on her from where he lounged on the floor between Sam and Vala. "It's a great pleasure to finally meet you, Cassandra, after hearing so much about you from the rest of the band, here."

"I haven't heard a thing, myself, but I'm still happy to meet you." Vala added her greeting. She glanced curiously at Cameron, then over at Teal'c hoping someone would explain who this girl was. Neither man noticed her questioning gaze, however, and she resolved to ask Daniel about it later.

"So you've seen the whole place? Kitchen, study, observatory…?" Jack looked around at them, then blinked at a few wide-eyed expressions that he interpreted as a 'no!' With a sweeping gesture, he motioned for SG1 to get up and go explore. "Well, come on, people! If you thought Lou's work in the kitchen was great…"

"I'll give the official tour, sir." Lou grinned and led Cameron, Teal'c, Sam, and Vala down the hall to the study.

"So, Uncle Jack…" Cassie began, "You are going to bring Daniel back in time so that I actually get to see him before I have to go back to classes right?"

"I'll try. When were you going back?" Jack wondered.

"Next Sunday or Monday."

"You took a week off?" Jack frowned, not sure if he should be flattered or upset that she was missing that much school for _him_. And Daniel. Cassie must have read his expression because she laughed and tried to reassure him.

"Don't worry! I don't normally have any classes on Mondays, and I'll get the notes for most of my classes from friends. They'll email me about any assignments, too. Everything's under control."

"Ah. Then yes, we'll most likely be back in the Springs with plenty of time for you to visit Daniel. He wouldn't have it any other way, you know."

Cassandra just smiled fondly. Of all SG1, she was particularly close to Daniel, for reasons no one really understood. Maybe it was how he'd picked up some of the parental responsibility for her after Janet's death, or how he always seemed to know what she was thinking and how to talk to her, or maybe it was that he'd never treated her as a child but as an intelligent adult. Where Sam was her best friend – almost a big sister, really – Daniel was…her guardian and protector. A shield that kept the bad stuff from harming her in any way.

It was a late night for them, and nearly midnight when they broke off to go their separate ways. Jack found himself crashing on Mitchell's none-too-comfy sofa bed that night, after sheepishly explaining that he'd told Daniel he was at a hotel. The poor guy was incredibly honoured to have a General – specifically one of his personal heroes – sleeping on his sofa bed, and to Jack's amusement Cam fussed and tidied until Jack gave in and started laughing.

"For cryin' out loud, Mitchell! I'm not the President! Relax would ya? Go to bed, please."

Flushing a bit, Cam grinned self-consciously and ran a hand through his hair. "Ah…yes, sir. Sorry 'bout that. I'll just…" he pointed down the short hall to his bedroom, and Jack waved him away.

"Good night, Mitchell." He drawled, lying down pointedly and wriggling to get as comfortable as the rather lumpy mattress would allow.

* * *

**Chapter II**

{Daniel}

A playful knock on his door at 09:30 announced Jack's arrival. "Good morning, sleepy!" Yep, this was one bright-eyed, bushy-tailed General. Jack ruffled Daniel's hair affectionately - which of course annoyed the archaeologist, who glared and batted Jack's hand away ineffectively.

"Jack." Daniel sighed and gave up. He'd never change the man about mornings. "I'm almost ready." He went back to packing. "I just need a few things from my office…"

"Oh no, you don't. Va-ca-tion, Daniel. No work allowed." Jack stamped down on that before it could even get off the ground.

Daniel gave him a brief scowl. "I want some books I've been meaning to read. They're in my office." He clarified. "And you can _not_ forbid me from reading on this so called 'vacation.'" His eyes dared Jack to fight him on it.

Wisely, Jack gave in. "Wouldn't dream of it, Danny." He held up his hands in a gesture of capitulation. Eyeing the clothing Daniel was packing, he made a quick suggestion. "Ya might want a couple of sweaters, though. Nights are getting pretty chilly in Northern Minnesota this time of year.

"I can't decide what to bring." Daniel stared down at an open dresser drawer containing his warmer clothes. Jack plopped down to the end of Daniel's bed and spoke before he realized what he was saying.

"I've always liked the ivory, cable-knit sweater on you."

Said sweater was in Daniel's hand when Jack spoke, and Daniel paused to blink at it, then at Jack. "Really? I didn't think you noticed what I wore as long as I was dressed appropriately for the occasion." To his surprise, Jack actually turned pink and wouldn't meet his gaze. _Well, well. What was this?_

"Uh…well, I notice all kinds of things. I just never…say most of it out loud." The older man floundered. "I am, you know…_trained_ to notice details, right?" He gave the linguist a covert glance, hopeful that he'd bought that hogwash.

"Yeah, sure. Whatever you say, O'Neill." Daniel rolled his eyes and carefully folded the sweater to add it to his bag, hiding the secretly pleased warmth that washed through him at Jack's transparent cover-up with a neutral expression. Besides, he was packing the damn thing, and wasn't that telling enough? "By the way…"

"Hmm?"

"What exactly are we going to do up there for an entire week? Other than talk…" Daniel asked in a quiet voice. "Because I doubt I'll fish. Much."

"Well, there's always the nature trails, and chess games. And apparently you'll have reading material." Jack couldn't help pointing that out glibly. Daniel gave him a withering stare over the top of his glasses and zipped up the duffel bag. "Okay, so I didn't make plans for 'activities.' I'm not a travel agent!"

"I know. We can always leave, I guess, if we get bored." Daniel slung his bag over one shoulder and grabbed his jacket. "Let's hit my office and get out of here, Jack."

"Let's." Jack agreed and got up, following along passively as Daniel collected his books (keeping an eagle eye on the linguist to make sure he didn't smuggle any contraband work into this vacation). "Got it all?"

"Yeah. Oh! How are we getting there, Jack? Driving? Flying?" Daniel inquired curiously. Jack smiled mysteriously and merely shrugged. "Come on…"

"One last stop, to let Landry know we're gone, and then…you'll see." Jack pushed the button for Level 27. He glanced at his watch as Daniel narrowed suspicious eyes on him. "We'll be right on time, too."

They left the elevator and walked the hall to the commander's office, where they could hear Hank Landry in conversation with someone. Jack rapped his knuckles on the door and poked his head inside. "Hank? Bad time?"

"Not at all, Jack." Hank looked grateful for the interruption. And who wouldn't with Richard Woolsey in the room? "We're just hammering out the legal details of the IOA's part in Dr. Jackson's new team."

"Ah." Jack gestured over his shoulder at said archaeologist. "We just came to bid you a fond farewell, so you can consider us checked out from base."

"Good morning, Jackson." Landry greeted Daniel (peering out from around Jack, who pretty much blocked the door). "All ready for the big fishing extravaganza, I see."

Blithely ignoring Woolsey, Daniel gave a little wave over Jack's shoulder. "Yes, sir. Apparently."

"Well, time to go!" Jack declared happily, with another look at his watch. "See you in a week, Hank!" He gave a sloppy salute.

"Have a nice trip, gentlemen." Hank chuckling at Jack's antics just as the two men were suddenly enveloped in a bright light and they disappeared.

On board _Odyssey_, two seconds later, Daniel blinked, taking in the bridge, and rounded on Jack incredulously.

"Don't you think this qualifies as an abuse of power, Jack?"

Jack just grinned and walked over to where his own duffel bag of belongings sat waiting for him, tucked out of the way of the bridge crew. He hefted it easily.

"It's one of the pros that came with the second star." He replied genially, referring to the conversation they'd had when Jack had first been offered promotion to general and command of the SGC. "I need to go places with all possible haste, after all. It doesn't get faster than Asgard beams."

"Oh, of course." Daniel rolled his eyes, torn between amusement and horror at Jack's irreverent abuse of that perk. "I don't think they meant when you're on leave for vacation, though."

Jack ignored him and signalled the Major at the ship's control panel for transport down to Earth once more. "Major, if you would?"

"Yes, sir. See you in a week, General!" The cheerful woman beamed at them and pushed a button on her console.

The next thing Daniel knew, he was standing in the cozy living room of Jack's cabin in Minnesota, the older man already moving to start a fire in the large fireplace.

"Let's get things warmed up a little in here. Go put your gear in the spare room, Daniel, while I get this fire started and put on a pot of coffee."

Resigned, the younger man took his bag to the cabin's second bedroom and set it on the cedar wood hope chest at the foot of the bed, then sat down heavily on the bed with a sigh. As he undid the laces of his boots slowly to take the footwear off, he contemplated his situation. Now that he was actually _here_, with Jack, alone, and with no escape (unless he _wanted_ to walk over the 20 miles to the nearest town)…his brain went into overdrive and he began to wonder if this was a mistake. And why the hell did he always let Jack get away with his Machiavellian schemes, even when he _knew_ he was being manoeuvred in some way toward a goal only Jack could see?

Running his fingers through his short hair in agitation, Daniel stood and followed the scent of coffee brewing and the comforting, welcoming scent of burning wood back out to the living room. A glance into the kitchen before he flopped down ungracefully onto the couch told him where Jack was. To keep himself occupied, he dug out the chessboard from the cabinet in the side-table at his elbow and set it up on the middle cushion of the couch.

A few moments later, Jack appeared with two mugs of coffee, which he set on the coffee table on coasters. Taking the seat on the couch opposite Daniel, he smiled at the board and at his friend, shifting around a bit so that he faced Daniel comfortably.

"Good idea, Danny. We haven't had much of a chance to play for quite a while, have we?" Jack commented, his tone subdued by the flash of loneliness and small tightening at the corners of Daniel's eyes and mouth. Fingers tapping his thigh nervously, Jack looked back down at the board as Daniel made the first move with a white pawn. "Although I'm guessing that our long talk is going to start right now and continue while we play…"

Daniel huffed and reached for his coffee, taking a large swallow without even seeming to notice the heat of it. "You're the one that decided here and now was the place and time to talk, Jack. I couldn't turn you down, either – knowing how hard it is for you to do so and the fact that this is all _your_ idea."

Jack countered Daniel's opening move with his own and frowned. "You sound as if you _don't_ want to talk about it, Daniel. If not, then why'd you agree to come out here with me?"

"Because…I owe it to the friendship we once had. Because if we want that friendship _back_ then we need to talk, whether either of us likes it or not. And because…I haven't liked life without Jack O'Neill very much and I'd rather you were in it than not." Saying that was like having a tooth pulled, and Daniel grimaced at the pain of it. "Which is pathetic and hopeless of me. I mean, the way things have been between us… And I'd rather have that anger, and pain, and dislike than to not have you at all!"

All kinds of emotions were running over Jack's face as Daniel spoke, and he actually twitched like he wanted to reach over and touch the other man but knew he wouldn't be welcomed so he restrained himself. He seemed to pull himself together enough to respond, however, after a few minutes.

"I don't think it's hopeless or pathetic, Danny. Because if it is…" Jack's voice cracked a little, growing thick, "…if it is, then I'm just as bad. I would rather have you around, mad at me – even hating me – for all that I've done to you than to go another day without you at all. And for all my plans to get us here and give us the time and opportunity to work our issues out, I don't even know where to start, Daniel." Jack gave a vicious, self-mocking chuckle.

Daniel watched him silently for a moment, over the rim of his mug. "I don't know either, Jack." He admitted quietly, setting the mug aside. "I can't really say much right now because I don't really know at which point in our relationship things started to go wrong. The only question I can ask now is…why?"

"And an all-encompassing one it is." Jack slouched back, absently moving a chess piece. His mind was completely away from the game, even as he continued to play. "We had our philosophical differences, and I think that contributed to an extent, but I don't believe it was something powerful enough to bust us up. For a while, those differences _were_ coming between us, but each time we somehow managed to come to terms with it and move on. But…in my case…Daniel, you know I've never been as close to another person as I have been to you. Not even with Sara. And…every time something happened to you - whether or not you were seriously injured, believed dead, or _actually_ dead – a piece of me was injured or died along with you. I was beginning to see just how important you were to me, and I guess I allowed myself to push you away out of a ridiculous, futile effort to protect myself from losing yet another loved one, another important person in my wretched life." Jack picked up a pawn and fiddled with it, unable to look up at Daniel and see the reaction his admission caused. "I'm not making excuses, Daniel, just explaining as best I've figured out for myself, no matter how foolish or just plain stupid I was."

Daniel sighed and reached over to pluck the chess piece out of Jack's fingers. He put it back on the board and set the entire thing aside on the coffee table. "Jack…I can understand protecting yourself; I mean, I know exactly what it's like to lose people and to not want to get too close to others out of fear of losing them, too. But…you could have said something! We could have talked about it. You know I would have listened to anything you needed to say, and maybe we could have worked it out together. When I lost Sha're – permanently – I was so lost, Jack. It hurt, deeply, to have lost yet another someone I love but I was able to cope because I had Sam, and Teal'c, and you…and General Hammond and Janet, too. As much as I wanted to push them all away because I was afraid to have to watch them die, too, I realized that it was pointless, and that having them in my life for whatever time I got with them was infinitely better than being alone." Daniel swirled the dark liquid caffeine in his mug watching the light reflecting off its inky black surface. "I've been there and done that, after all. I hated every second. It wasn't worth buying the t-shirt." He glanced up at Jack sorrowfully. "I guess…I just don't understand why you felt you couldn't come to me and let me know you felt like that.

"Because there were other factors, too, Daniel. Though the truth is that I didn't recognize what those factors were until much, much later – too late to really do anything to make amends." Jack couldn't sit still anymore, so he got up and began a slow pace in front of the fireplace. "I didn't understand, then, what I felt or how to deal with everything. And there were outside influences that just confused me even more. And before you repeat yourself, I couldn't talk to you about it because I not only didn't know what was going on with me but also feared your reaction to some of it. I was so afraid to lose my best friend – yet how ironic that I lost him anyway."

Daniel processed that for a moment, watching Jack pace with growing agitation. "So…now that you do get it, you want to tell me? That – since you've already 'lost' me – it's as safe as it'll get for you to tell me?"

Jack paused mid-step and frowned at him. "Uh…I hadn't thought of it like that, but when you put it that way… That's pretty much true. I do want to explain myself, Daniel. And it's not for the selfish reasons you're probably thinking I'm doing all this. It..has less to do with easing my guilty conscience than fixing the mistakes I made, if I can, or at least setting the record straight with you so that your mind, at least, will have some closure."

"Uh huh. Okay, just so we're absolutely clear, Jack?"

"Yeah?" Jack responded, eyeing him warily.

"Tell me _exactly_ what goal you have in mind for us. What is it you're aiming for?"

Surprised, Jack floundered a little. "I…of course I have idealistic dreams about where we'll end up, Daniel, but…I honestly am too afraid to hope. I only planned to bring us out here and do my best to explain everything to you. After that…it's all up to you. I…if you decided I was worth one last chance, then…I admit I have some ideas up my sleeve but even if you decided not to give me a last chance I had decided what I would do." The older man shuffled his foot, looking for all the world like a lost little boy. Daniel tried to ignore the pang in his chest from it.

"And if I did give you another chance?" He asked cautiously, taking careful note of every nuance of Jack's expression and body language, as if he could tell simply from that the sincerely of Jack's words. "What are you hoping for, Jack?"

"On the good side, at the very least…your friendship. I'd be forever contented if I got back what we once were, Daniel. It would be enough." There was a note of fearful hope in Jack's voice that nearly broke the younger man's heart. "On the bad side…I'll retire for good this time. I'm no use to anyone in Washington anymore, and without you, I don't think I could go to the SGC everyday and function even one iota as well as I do with you at my side, watching my six."

The implications of that made Daniel swallow back the emotion rising in his throat – hard. Blue eyes went wide behind his glasses and he croaked, "You can't be serious, Jack! Basing such a huge decision on whether or not we're still friends? That's crazy! Even for us!"

Jack closed his eyes wearily, his hands stuffing themselves in his pockets as he hunched over miserably. Daniel seemed to be missing the point entirely, but Jack wasn't ready to drop the three word, emotional, life-altering bomb on the man yet. Not until he at least had the friendship back.

"Alright. Putting that aside for now," Daniel took pity on him. "You said at the very least you would be content if we were friends again. But what do you _really_ want, Jack? Because one would think the _most_ you could want out of me _is_ friendship."

"Daniel…" Jack began, trying to protest.

"No, Jack! We're going to lay it all out, right now. No more tip-toeing around each other, and no more hiding behind past issues." Daniel stood and moved until he stood only a foot away from Jack, face to face. "We say what we want, and then we find some way to work toward it, even if it means we have to wade through all that murky water under our bridges." A stubborn gleam darkened Daniel's surreal blue eyes dramatically.

Jack should have known that this whole thing wouldn't go down how he expected it to, not with Daniel involved because nothing ever did around the man. In none of the scenarios Jack imagined did he see himself having his soul bared raw and open to Daniel _within the first few hours_ of their time at the cabin. But it looked like he wasn't going to have a choice. He knew if he didn't cooperate with Daniel now, it would all be over before it even had a chance to start.

Grabbing his coffee and downing it in a couple large gulps, Jack pointed at the couch and picked up Daniel's mug before heading for the kitchen. "Sit down, Daniel. If you're going to make me do this so damned soon, then I need something stronger than coffee." He pulled two tumblers from the cupboard and dug out a bottle of whiskey, taking it all to the living room. Daniel watched him pour two fingers of the amber liquid into each glass silently. "I wanted to ease into this, but you're too damn stubborn to just let it lie for now. So…" Jack handed Daniel one glass and took a drink from his own. "I'm going to do this my way, and you have to promise to just sit and listen and let me say what I have to before you start asking questions, or get mad at me, or kick my ass. Whatever." Jack raised an eyebrow at Daniel in question, and received a nod of agreement. He downed the rest of his whiskey and poured another.

"I already told you I was afraid to lose you, either in death or in friendship, and so I started pushing you away. But what I didn't really understand until after you went off with Oma and the glowy brigade was the other reason I'd been such an ass to you, why I was so confused by what I felt." Jack moved to the fireplace, staring down into the crackling flames as he spoke. "It wasn't just that you were my friend and how close we were as such. It was that I was falling, Daniel. Truly, madly, deeply. Over the moon." A sardonic smile flashed briefly, and he didn't seem to hear Daniel's shocked gasp at the confession. "All those stupid clichés and more. But like I said, at the time, I didn't get it. And suddenly there were other things that were distracting me and only serving to further confuse the shit out of me. And I totally blame all of it on that fucking quantum mirror!" Jack slammed his tumbler down on the mantle hard, making Daniel wince around the wide, glassy-eyed expression. "That's where it started! If I'd never had any sort of confirmation of a possibility I'd only ever entertained as a…passing fantasy once or twice, something I'd never _really_ considered with any true seriousness… If I had never known about alternate realities where Jack O'Neill met Samantha Carter and they got together…" Jack raked his fingers roughly through his silvered hair. "It planted seeds, Daniel, in not just _my_ already bewildered brain but in Carter's, too!

"Maybe…just maybe we could have forgotten about it and moved on, but then that whole Zatarc thing after the incident with Anise's armbands from hell." Jack's hands waved about in the air expressively. "That made it almost impossible to discount the idea that...that maybe I really did feel more for Carter than I thought."

Daniel stared at his whiskey silently, then downed the whole thing in one shot as his foggy memory dredged up the emotions he'd gone through back then. Worry, shock, sadness, and fear…but on top of it all, an irrational jealousy aimed at both Sam and Jack. Unable to look at the former Colonel, Daniel muttered, "Yeah. I heard about it. The base rumour mill started grinding immediately."

A fact which still annoyed Jack. What he'd said, in that room, was supposed to _stay_ in that room between the people present. Other than Jack and Carter, only Teal'c, Janet, and Anise had been there, and Jack always had a very definite suspicion as to which one had leaked the story. Taking a glance at Daniel, he could almost _see_ the green monster hovering around the linguist, and he felt perversely encouraged by that. Still, he sought to set the record straight.

"You need to understand, Daniel, that I spoke the truth in that room. I did – do – feel more than I should for Carter. But!" Jack shrugged unapologetically when Daniel's head whipped up and his gaze flashed dangerously. "I'd have said the same about you or Teal'c, if it had been either of you on the other side of that energy barrier. As your CO, I felt way more than I should have. We all did! It's part of why SG1 was so successful." He smiled a little when Daniel's fierce frown eased and he relaxed somewhat. "But like you said, the base's rumour mill blew it all out of proportion. And you know as well as I do that it's pretty impossible to shut that thing down once it gets going. Carter and I are damned lucky no one decided to bring us up on charges, and that Hammond pretended he'd never heard any such rumours; as long as we didn't do any real monkey business on duty, on base, or on a mission he looked the other way and ignored rumours and gossip.

"At the time…it seemed like one incident after another would come along and something with a sick sense of humour kept throwing Carter and I at each other. All the while, with my head up my ass, I was continuously pushing you away, never listening to you or paying attention to your place and purpose on the team, taking Carter's side on most issues – not to mention her opinion and advice over yours…" Jack's expression was so pained, and he looked every one of his years at that moment that Daniel couldn't find the heart to be all that angry about all of those things any longer. As Jack had listed off his past transgressions the hurt, anger, and annoyance that Daniel had long since believed he'd buried away came bubbling up once more. But seeing very real contrition and immense regret in Jack now made all of that negativity begin to fade away. It occurred to him that – back then – this had been all he'd really wanted to hear from his CO and friend, he'd wanted the acknowledgement of his wrongs, and a real apology for his treatment of Daniel both personally and professionally.

Back then, Daniel had give up any hope of getting any such regrets from Jack O'Neill for as long as he was busy flirting with Sam and trying to be what she wanted. Even after he'd Descended again, and his memories returned, it was clear as glass that Jack was still mooning over Sam Carter and oblivious to Daniel. Oh sure, Jack was ecstatic to have him back again, and welcomed him back to SG1 without hesitation, but gone were any of the things that had made them such good friends in the first place. And despite being a member of SG1, Daniel became more of a free agent, going on missions with _other_ teams more often than he did with SG1, or doing things of his own accord. Like the mission to Honduras/Nicaragua. By that point, he'd given up completely. It had become painfully obvious he was totally on his own.

Jack returned to sitting on his end of the couch, partially turned toward Daniel. He'd watched the myriad of emotions play across Daniel's face, and he could almost hear the scholar's thoughts spinning wildly in his head. Jack also noticed how Daniel's arms moved into that protective, unconscious, self-hug. He didn't think Daniel noticed, though. Deciding that one more refill of whiskey was warranted, Jack poured liberally, then closed up the bottle, setting it far out of reach.

"All these things I did, the way I treated you and what I said to you – or didn't say, even… I got a giant slap upside the head that horrible day we hurried to get you home to Janet with the desperate – if impossible – hope that she could save you." Jack stared into his glass. He didn't have to clarify because they both knew what he was talking about. "I knew, even before Janet said it herself, that I was going to lose you, that I'd wasted precious time and energy on something I didn't really want and now I would have no chance to tell you all the things I wanted to. Hell, all I came up with was that I admired you! True as it was, it wasn't what I wanted to say at all."

Daniel grabbed the whiskey after downing his glass quickly, and poured another for himself. Even now, the memory of that particular death still required a lot of alcohol to be able to spend any amount of time dwelling on it. "I knew you cared, Jack. I knew you'd miss me a little and grieve for my loss. We may not have been all that close, but I was still important to you. I understand all that without you telling me."

"No, Daniel, you don't have any idea what watching you die like that did to me. Something in me died with you." Jack shook his head when Daniel opened his mouth to protest. "Ah! No. Ask Teal'c or Carter what I was like the year you were…away. They'll tell you all about it. But back to those awful hours I spent sitting with you – when I wasn't in Hammond's office begging him to call the Asgard again, to let me take a team and retrieve a sarcophagus we'd gotten intel on…_something_. And then…" Jack's voice went distant and almost vague, causing Daniel's gaze to snap up and pin itself on the other man with trepidation. "Next thing I know, Jacob's trying to fix you with that healing device, and it seems to be working, but I'm suddenly standing with you in the Gate Room, her glowy Highness, Oma standing on the ramp. And you asked me to tell Jacob to stop. To let you go. I wanted to refuse at first, to accuse you of just giving up. But…I couldn't do it. You said you thought you could do more that way, and in that moment I realized just how badly I'd minimized your place with the team, with the SGC, because I knew you wouldn't _leave_ us if you thought you still had something to offer." Jack sniffed unaware that tears trickled slowly from his eyes – which were a deep, dark, sorrowful chestnut brown by this time, slightly unfocused with memory recall. "And I…I had no right to stand in your way, no right to ask you to stay…when all I _wanted_ was to grab you and tell Oma to fuck off and find someone else to turn glowy."

A mental picture of that made Daniel choke on a watery laugh. He had tears of his own dampening his face. This part of dying – and consequent Ascension – he did _not_ remember. "God, Jack…" but with Jack's words, it was all flooding back.

A very faint smile flashed across Jack's features. "So I did what you wanted. I told Jacob to stop. And you Ascended, left us…left me. Broke my heart, Daniel, to do it, but…I'd do anything for you. Anything you ask." Much to Jack's horror, he could feel what was left of his control slipping away on a tidal wave of memory, emotion, and whiskey. He was going to cry. Just burst into tears and probably not be able to stop once started.

It was too much for Daniel, and more than enough for one day's worth of cathartic explanations. Without even considering the implications or repercussions, Daniel reached over, took Jack's glass away and set it beside his own on the table. Before Jack could protest (though it looked like he was too busy fighting his emotions to care) Daniel crawled across the cushions and leaned into Jack, back to chest. He grasped Jack's arms and pulled them around himself effectively making Jack embrace and hold him.

"I'm right here, Jack. And I'm so very sorry I did that to you. I…honestly believed you wouldn't care all that much and besides…you were my 'next-of-kin,' right? If I had asked anyone else, they wouldn't do it. Not Sam or Janet, not even Teal'c. And not Hammond. Out of all of you, Jack, you are the one I had – have – the deepest connection to, so probably I wouldn't have been able to ask one of them to let me go even if I wanted to. Despite what I believed you thought of me, despite the rocky relationship we had, I trusted you. I trusted you to see what I wanted, what was best for not just me but everyone. I trusted in you to help me continue the fight in the only way open to me, then." As Daniel spoke, he snuggled right in, slowly rubbing his hand up and down one of the arms that finally reacted to his proximity and curled tightly around him. "Jacob was healing me, yes, but even though I'd be alive, I'd never go through the Gate again. I'd be off SG1, not to mention any other SG team. Chances were that I'd be trapped in my own body for the rest of my life, nearly invalid, reliant on others completely. Oma or death. Those were my only real options. Still…I'm so sorry I put you through that. I-I didn't realize…"

A hoarse, mildly hysterical bark of laughter came from Jack. "God, Daniel, please don't apologize! How were you to know what was going on in my head or heart when I hardly knew? You can only make decisions based on the info you have at the time, and that's what you did." Daniel kept up his steady stroking of Jack's arm, unconsciously mirroring the way Jack was rubbing the back of his neck as he spoke. "And while I knew all that…I was still irrationally hurt, and angry." Jack pulled him closer, dipping his head just enough that he could rest his cheek on top of Daniel's head. "And you were gone. I did my best to hold it together – for the team, if nothing else. I was worse than a wounded old bear with my temper for a while after. The Marines certainly discovered my reputation wasn't without truth, and…I sort of was a tad short with Carter, too. It wasn't her fault. She was grieving for you, really grieving, and she couldn't understand why no one else seemed to be. Me…I clung to the fact that you Ascended, and therefore you weren't really dead. You were out there, somewhere, even if I might never see you again." Daniel tilted his head back to look up at Jack's face from an odd angle. Jack was staring across the room blindly, looking haggard with old pain and infinite sadness and grief. His expression reminded Daniel of the old Jack, the one he'd first met and gotten to know on Abydos so very long ago – the suicidal, grief stricken, hardcore soldier. He knew from that alone what was coming next, before Jack could even say it.

"If it hadn't been for that, Danny…that one piece of knowledge…I'd have done it. I wouldn't have lived one more day without you." The admission was whispered with no small amount of shame.

Hoping to lighten the mood a bit and drag Jack back into the present, Daniel gave the arm he'd been stroking a hard punch, followed by a half-serious admonition.

"You Jack-ass!"

"Ow! What the hell?"

"If I _had_ been dead, you idiot, and you'd done something so stupid and selfish as to go and kill yourself after all the hard work I did in convincing you to live, I swear I'd have come to haunt your ass for eternity – after convincing the PTB to resurrect you first, just so that I could!"

The scowl of indignation on Jack's face melted into a misty grin. "Yeah, you would. I should have known. That alone would have made me think again; I mean, who wants a vociferous, nagging, snarky linguist/archaeologist/anthropologist haunting them for the rest of their lives?"

Daniel snorted, wallowing back a laugh. "Gee, Jack, I love you too!"

Instantly sobering, Jack went very still. "I do, Daniel." He said very softly and carefully. "I really do… That's sort of why I'm doing this, you know."

Daniel remained where he was, unmoving, with wide, tenuously hopeful eyes. He'd already suspected as much when they started this conversation, but it was still a shock to his battered, abused heart to _finally_, actually _hear_ Jack say it.

"This?" he croaked, feigning confusion in an effort to buy time to going some semblance of control over the sparks of hope that were re-igniting in what he'd thought were long-forgotten places deep inside himself.

Thankfully, Jack played along. "This trip up here to the cabin. This…cross between an Oprah moment and a Maury revelation." Jack's voice cracked and Daniel could hear real fear in it. "I told you if I could get our friendship back that would be enough, and it will be! But Daniel…god, Danny, I want… What I truly hope for, someday, is…"

"Shh… Jack, hush, before you start hyperventilating or something." Daniel reached up to place two fingers over Jack's mouth, silencing the man. "So what you're saying is that if we can be friends again – which, by the way, I think we've already accomplished or I wouldn't even be here – then great! But ideally, you want me. As in…what? Partner? Significant other?"

"Partner works." Jack agreed, swallowing thickly. He stared down at the man in his arms (and wasn't that strange to say after so many years of heterosexuality?), pondering the idea of bringing up the 'soulmate' story as he'd told President Hayes. No. Maybe not quite yet. Easing Daniel into just how much Jack now realized he loved him was probably the best idea. "Though I'd say we've been that – are that – already. 'Love of my life' sounds great. 'Lover' just plain turns me on and makes me sappy."

Daniel's chuckle sounded just as heavy with emotion as Jack's. "Hadn't noticed the sap." He sighed and pushed himself up to a sitting position reluctantly, but let Jack grasp his hand and tangle their fingers together to hold on to him. "Well, it took you long enough to get here, but I'm…tentatively hopeful?" he turned shiny blue eyes on Jack, squeezing his fingers. "You're saying things I've wanted to hear from you for a long time, Jack. So long… And part of me is ecstatic and jumping for joy and asking me why I'm even still thinking about it rather than leaping on it – you – for all it's worth.

"The other parts of me are competing. There's disbelief – that I'm in some sort of elaborate dreamscape that's fulfilling my greatest fantasy or some alien influence is messing with me again. And there's a part of me that believes you're serious but also says that there's no point now, that it's too good to be true and even if I have you for a little while you'll eventually go away just like everyone in my life eventually does. I…can you understand that, Jack?" Daniel gripped Jack's hand hard, trying to convey his inner turmoil through their connected hands. "I want the same thing you do. I've wanted it longer than…we'll, you wouldn't believe me if I told you." Before Jack could ask, Daniel ploughed onward. "I want you and I…I love you. But…I need some time. I need to think, to wrap my head around this new Jack you're offering me. Hell, this new _life_ you're offering me."

"Daniel, Daniel, I do get it! I knew you wouldn't just roll over and go 'woof!' immediately. And I fully expect to spend every spare moment I have proving myself, proving my _commitment_ to you." Jack dropped Daniel's hand and cupped his face between both hands instead. "Whatever time you think you need, I'll wait patiently. Or," Jack's grin was a bit wry, "as patiently as I can. You know me…"

"Obviously not as well as I thought, or I'd have known what was really going on with you all this time." Daniel shook his head at himself in recrimination. "I'm supposed to have all this great insight into people as on anthropologist, yet I can never figure you out."

Patting Daniel lightly on the knee, Jack offered up a bit of wisdom that had taken him a failed marriage to figure out. "But when you're observing people, you're on the outside looking in, Danny. You're a neutral, objective third party. It doesn't work that way when you're involved personally. Everything is entirely subjective. Can't see the forest for the trees, or something like that." He pushed himself up off the couch with a slight groan as his knees creaked like the old wooded floorboards of the cabin. "Damn knees! Should have got Thor to hook me up with some spiffy replacements a long time ago." Jack picked up their empty tumblers and the whiskey bottle, preparing to take them back to the kitchen.

"Now, see, at least there's one part of Jack O'Neill I got right." Daniel announced, rising to follow his friend. "There really is a keen and intelligent mind hidden under all that macho, dumb flyboy act you insist on displaying."

Dumping the glasses in the sink and leaving the bottle on the counter, Jack leaned a hip against the edge of the countertop and folded his arms, putting on a mock scowl. "I must be losing my touch! People can see right through me! Truth is, Daniel," he leaned into the younger man and whispered in an exaggerated conspiratorial voice, "I'm really just as smart as you or Carter. My IQ's enormous!"

Rolling his eyes, Daniel gave him a friendly swat. "No, that's your ego. While your IQ is probably _well_ above average, I don't know that you quite reach Sam's level. She's what they had in mind when they coined the phrase 'rocket scientist.'"

"Ow! Wounded, here." Jack laughed, clutching his heart dramatically.

"You'll live, I'm sure." Daniel smiled, then had to cover it as he yawned. What with the early morning he'd had, plus the whiskey and the emotional rollercoaster he'd ridden all _week_ (let alone this morning), it was no wonder he was feeling pretty drained. "I can't believe it's nearly two in the afternoon! Where _does_ the time go?"

"Need a nap, do we?" Jack's pithy question was ruined by his own yawn. "Damn it! Stop that! Those are contagious, you know."

"While I would normally blast you for treating me like a child, I'll refrain because I think we could both use a nap." Daniel poked Jack in the chest with a finger. "After you make lunch. We should eat…to balance out all that alcohol."

Jack raised an eyebrow and moved to check out his fridge. Thankfully, having had one of the locals he knew well come in to stock the place for a week, there was plenty of food to choose from. "So I'm designated chef, huh? And by the way, when _did_ you develop a tolerance to alcohol?"

"I'm the guest at this party so of course you're cooking for me – unless you want me to starve to death." Daniel stood back out of the way as Jack pulled sandwich items out and placed it all on the counter. "I can drink just fine, for your information. It's only beer that I can't seem to tolerate."

"That is such a crime against Guinness." Jack remarked with a sad pout. It was his favourite drink, after all. Or food substitute, as he'd once said to Hammond. "Want soup?"

"Nah. It's not my fault. Besides, I prefer wine over any other alcohol. Most days." Daniel watched the older man work with practiced efficiency.

"You make a horrible Irishman, Daniel."

"That's probably because I'm not. Dutch on my mother's side, remember?"

"Yadda. Coffee or something else?"

"What'd'ya have?" Daniel bumped up against Jack as he leaned over to peer into like refrigerator. He was aware of Jack's eyes on him, and couldn't help smiling just a little smugly to himself in delight. Pulling out two cans of Coke, he straightened and set one on the counter for Jack. "This will do just fine."

"Thanks." Jack picked up a plate laden with sandwiches and handed it to Daniel, then picked up another with his Coke. "Let's eat in the living room."

The two men dropped onto the couch, side-by-side, and ate their lunch in companionable silence with their feet propped up on the coffee table. When they finished, Jack took the dishes and empty cans into the kitchen and cleaned up.

Returning to the living room, he found Daniel half-asleep on the couch just as Jack had left him. He stepped up to Daniel and gave the dozing linguist a nudge in the leg with one of his knees, then held out a hand as Daniel's eyes opened abruptly, startled out of his near sleep.

"Bedroom, Danny. Much more comfortable than that old sofa. Come on." Jack tugged Daniel up to his feet and, keeping his hand in his own, pulled Daniel down the short hall.

Agreeable because he was too sleepy to argue, Daniel let him. But as they passed the guest room altogether, he made an attempt to dig in his heels. "Jack? Where're we going?"

Pausing in the door to the master bedroom, Jack turned to look at Daniel questioningly. "Sleep. Bedroom." Then he blinked, realizing what he'd done without even thinking about it – namely assuming Daniel would be with him, in bed or out, from now on. "Oh. Just sleep, Daniel. Promise."

Daniel dropped his gaze to the floor, obviously reluctant and unsure what to do.

"Um…look, why don't you change into something more comfortable to sleep in." Jack reluctantly released his mate's hand (which was how he would always think of Daniel no matter what else happened) and stepped back with a hesitant but welcoming smile. "Then, if you decide to join me, there's plenty of room. If not, that's okay, too. I, ah, didn't mean to rush you into anything, Daniel. Sorry."

Daniel looked down at his clothes, having forgotten he wore jeans, and looked back up with a nod. "Okay. Jack…it's not that I don't…I just…"

"Danny," Jack cut him off softly, in an incredibly patient and gentle tone Daniel had rarely heard directed at anyone but kids and dogs. "It's okay. Honest. I wasn't thinking about it, just…reacting. Go change, Spacemonkey." He turned and went further into the room, leaving Daniel to decide what he wanted.

For once, the anthropologist was obedient enough to follow Jack's orders, going to his room to change out of the jeans and long-sleeved turtleneck he wore. Instead, he donned a pair of cotton drawstring pants and an USAF shirt (that he suspected he'd once…borrowed – read stolen – from Jack). In an attempt to buy more time to decide, Daniel escaped to the bathroom.

After using the facilities and washing his hands and face, he stared at himself in the mirror. He asked himself a lot of questions, but the answer to them all lay with one simple one: was he ready to put himself on the line for love again? Because this was not just some fling Jack was offering. It wasn't about sex – or not all about it, anyway (hey, they were male, after all!) – and it was something Daniel had once desperately wished for. In fact it was everything he ever wanted.

The only answer he had was 'yes.' There was no way he could pass up this chance at a little real happiness, not with his life.

Feeling a tad light-headed out of pure nerves, Daniel emerged from the bathroom and silently went back to Jack's room. He found Jack waiting for him, sitting up on the mattress with his back to the headboard. A bright, relieved smile welcomed Daniel, and he felt a little better as his nerves calmed. Without a word, the linguist clambered up onto the bed, stretching out next to Jack, and removed his glasses.

Jack plucked them out of his fingers and carefully set them on the bedside table for safekeeping. He shuffled down until he was stretched out at Daniel's side, on his own side, and propped up his head with one hand.

"I wasn't sure you'd join me." Jack said softly. "I really didn't mean to…push you into anything, Danny. But…" he paused and ducked his head in such a shy way Daniel could only call it endearing. "…I'm glad you did."

"Jack?" Daniel swallowed against the lump in his throat. He needed something, but he wasn't sure if he could ask.

"Daniel?" Jack could see how uneasy his mate was, and that he seemed to be struggling with something. Those big, surreal blue eyes hid very little from him now, without the glasses to hide behind. "Whatever it is, Spacemonkey, I'll listen. That's what this week is about, both ways."

A hint of a smile kicked up Daniel's mouth. "Well, first…please stop calling me 'Spacemonkey,' Jack. That's not one of my favourite nicknames."

Jack put out his lip in a blatant pout. It was one of _his_ favourites. "I'll try." He offered.

Daniel nodded his acceptance. "Thank you. Um…the other thing…I don't know how to ask, especially without sounding…clingy and emotional."

Reaching out with his free hand, Jack placed it on Daniel's chest and gently rubbed affectionately in soothing motions. "I think we should establish a couple rules for whenever we're…together like this. In our bed." Jack couldn't quite keep the awed, sappy grin off his face at those words. "Here we can say whatever we need to say, no matter what it sounds like. Neutral conversation territory, I guess. It's just you and me here, no one and nothing also. And I promise that whenever you need to talk to me here, I'll listen as objectively and compassionately as I can."

"Wow." Daniel stared up at him in shock – pleasant shock, but still shock. "I'd ask where you're hiding the pod, but I know it's really you."

"What?" Amused, Jack raised an eyebrow, his hand never ceasing it's movements. "I may have sucked as a husband and father, but I do learn from my mistakes. Plus…I suppose a certain someone may have rubbed off on me more than he knows." Whiskey brown eyes gazed pointedly down at Daniel with a wry grin.

"Wore you down, maybe. Rubbed off?" Daniel chuckled. "Not yet."

The grin turned wicked. Daniel realized what he'd just said, much to his embarrassment, and blushed. "Agh! Just…ignore me."

"Why Dr. Jackson! Do I detect hints of a naughty mind?"

"Shut up! Don't be an ass, Jack!"

"Aww! Look at the blush!" Delighted, Jack flopped back onto the mattress smiling happily. At least he'd managed to lighten things enough to distract Daniel's all too busy brain. His hand sought out Daniel's and he linked their fingers together, holding on firmly.

Daniel let out a huge gusting sigh, and let Jack have his hand. He'd never been much for hand-holding, but it felt oddly right with Jack O'Neill. Safe and reassuring.

"So?" Jack ventured, the curiosity eating at him.

"Buttons?" Daniel answered blithely, hastily continuing at Jack's impatient grunt. "Okay, sorry. I just…I need something solid to hang onto. Something real to really make this all sink in and…"

"Make you believe it?" Jack finished quietly. Daniel turned his head to look at his friend sideways. "Yeah. I get that. You need something to tell you that all those things you wanted – _want_ – from me you're allowed to have now."

"Something like that, yes." Daniel blinked myopically at him, amazed by the insight Jack seemed to have into the linguist. Perhaps Jack knew Daniel much better than Daniel ever gave him credit for.

"The only thing I can do to alleviate all your fears, Danny, is to spend the rest of my life trying to show you how much you mean to me every way I can come up with." Jack squeezed Daniel's fingers. "But right now? Whatever you need me to do, I'll do."

Staring up at the ceiling of the cabin, Daniel nearly whispered, "Then, can I hold you? While we sleep?" He just knew his face was red as a stop sign, and couldn't look at Jack. Therefore he missed the blink, then widening of Jack's eyes in surprise, then the huge grin that was somehow softer than anything previously seen on the hardened soldier's face.

"How do ya want to do that, Danny?" Jack asked, turning over just enough to be able to face the younger man. He smiled at the shy, relieved smile on Daniel's face and waited for some direction.

"Um…you don't mind?" Daniel wanted to be sure. At Jack's amused nod, he made a twirling motion with a finger. "Then could you…lie on your side, facing away from me?"

Obediently, Jack rolled over, settling into place comfortably. "Now what?" He sounded curious, like he was waiting to see what Daniel would do next. He didn't have to wait long, because suddenly Daniel was curling himself up against Jack's back, one arm sliding under Jack's pillow just above their heads while the other slowly curled itself around Jack's waist. Then Daniel's leg slid against Jack's legs, insinuating itself between them, effectively spooning the younger man around Jack.

Daniel made a soft noise of contentment, his warm breath fluttering against the small hairs at the back of Jack's neck. Jack, unbelievably touched and feeling very…cherished, laid his own arm alongside Daniel's at his waist and slowly rubbed his fingers over the back of Daniel's hand, savouring all the sensations that being surrounded by his mate was bringing to him. He closed his eyes and sighed happily, wiggling backward into Daniel's embrace as much as he could.

Jack closed his eyes, listening to Daniel's light breaths and counting the man's heartbeats – which he could actually hear in the deep silence around them – and nearly dozed off to sleep when he heard a muffled, "Jack?"

"Hmm?" He acknowledged, drifting on a pleasantly hazy cloud of wakefulness.

"Thank you for making me come here with you."

Jack's answer was to bring Daniel's hand up to his lips, brushing a soft kiss across his knuckles and holding Daniel's arm prisoner against his chest possessively. An involuntary shiver ran through him when he felt the linguist's lips at his nape, his nose rubbing back and forth lazily.

"Sleep, Danny." He murmured, almost asleep himself.

"Mmm hmm…"

* * *

**Chapter III**

The next five days seemed like an eternity. Maybe it was the lack of other people around or the lack of civilization for miles in any direction, but it seemed very much like time had slowed to a crawl for them. They took many nature walks, exploring the woods of Northern Minnesota. They enjoyed the trees for once because there were no enemies to be concerned about that might pop out of nowhere and attack them, no strange plant or animal life that might be hazardous to their health, nor any of the usual worries that they had in forests off-world. Nothing but trees, moss, flowers, birds, deer, squirrels, and the (at least) one fox they spotted. Jack said there were bears, and moose, but it wasn't likely that they'd ever come across either, as the animals here were too wary of humans; a fact Daniel actually bemoaned and complained about because he'd never seen some of these animals before except in books or on TV.

They also played plenty of games, from chess to gin to crazy eights to Monopoly (the NHL version, much to Daniel's wry amusement), spent a lot of time sitting on Jack's little dock on his fish pond in the warm autumn sunshine (Jack would 'fish,' Daniel would read), and actually doing some minor repair work around the cabin that Jack decided to get done while he had the time, opportunity…and extra set of hands.

And they talked. It was a sharing of memories – good and bad – and a sharing of emotions from the past. There were no accusations or recriminations over any of the past events they discussed, simply the statements of "remember that? I felt this because of that." And there were no apologies – something they agreed on at the beginning after their initial catharsis. They agreed that there was no point in getting upset over spilt milk that had long since evaporated, and if they spent all their time apologizing to each other, they'd never get anything else accomplished.

Jack suspected the talking thing was still more difficult for him than it was for Daniel, but he was pleasantly surprised with himself to find how not hard it turned out to be for him to do this talking thing. It was even easier to listen – really listen – to everything Daniel would say and hear the things he wasn't saying. Every detail and emotion that Jack found he filed away and kept close at heart and hand, anxious to learn from his mistakes so that what had happened between them never, _ever_ happened again.

Daniel could hardly believe that this was Jack O'Neill, _his_ Jack O'Neill, talking calmly, rationally, and unashamedly about his emotions and experiences. Most of the things Jack told Daniel that week were things the linguist had pretty much already known on one level or another at the time, but here was Jack actually confirming a lot of it for him. He'd always known that they'd had a sort of unspoken insight into one another, right from that initial Abydos mission, but he hadn't realized how even though he knew something that Jack felt or wanted to do but never actually said/did anything about it or admitted it aloud, it was entirely a different, more reinforcing knowledge now when Jack finally did verbalize things. It was the same as knowing a person cared, but actually _feeling_ it when the person _told_ you so aloud.

It wasn't just the talking thing Daniel was slowly coming to terms with (for himself, too, since the reality was he didn't like talking about his tragedies and dramas to others either – excepting that it came more naturally and easily with Jack than anyone else), but the physical side of their building relationship. And no, he wasn't thinking about sexual stuff, at least not yet. It was just the smaller, intimate touches, the frequent invasion of his personal space, and the sheer presence of Jack anywhere in Daniel's general vicinity that was taking a great deal of getting used to.

Jack was a tactile person, especially with people close to him. In the past, Daniel had gotten accustomed to that innate need of Jack's to touch – as often as he could and get away with, but still within the boundaries of acceptability according to both society and the military. Friendly stuff, just buddies, good friends and close team members, etc. Easy slaps on the back or shoulder, good-natured punches to the arm, teasing ruffling of the hair, stuff like that. For Daniel, those were easy to get used to, despite his wary, self-protective dislike of being touched (no matter how casually) if he didn't invite it. But there were other types of contact that had been so rare that they became precious commodities. Things like hugs. Real, bone-crushing, breath-stealing hugs or the fierce, soothing, protective embraces that Daniel had almost never experienced after his parents' deaths. And there were the few, more intimate gestures that Daniel had never seen Jack bestow on anyone else.

_…on Klorel's ship, a badly injured Daniel urging Jack to see the mission through and leave him behind with a promise to "watch your backs" and Jack reaching out to cup and stroke Daniel's face as if silently acknowledging Daniel's courage and Jack's affection and regret and sorrow…_

_…Jack's arm quickly wrapping around Daniel's shoulders to steady and anchor him until he was able to climb back over the railing of his apartment balcony to safety, the rubbing motion up and down Daniel's arm meant to soothe and calm and reassure as he battled confusion and depression thanks to that Goa'uld Pleasure Palace and its funky, addictive light display…_

_…the hundreds of times Jack sat at Daniel's bedside in the infirmary, every time he would wind up there no matter how serious his condition – or Jack's own – and the way he held on to Daniel's hand (if he could without harm) during particularly bad recoveries, or brushed the hair out of Daniel's face when Daniel couldn't do it himself – or when he thought Daniel was asleep and wouldn't know…_

_…the way Jack just reached out and slowly, carefully pushed Daniel's glasses back up his nose in the SGC elevator without regard for the fact that Sam and Jacob were right there with them…_

Well, there were actually more such little memories than Daniel thought, he soon realized, but those were the ones that seemed to stand out most. Now, in the present, it wasn't just these touches he had to become reacquainted with, but the kind that would scream a much more personal, intimate relationship going on than just good friends, best buddies, close team members.

For instance, they'd be in the kitchen fixing a meal, and while close contact would be expected in such a small, cramped space (which was barely enough to fit two grown men), Daniel was sure Jack intentionally stood as close as possible, brushed up against his side or arm more often than was plausible, and deliberately leaned over across Daniel to reach for something instead of asking him to hand whatever he wanted over to him.

Or, something that has happened two nights in a row now, the way Jack shoved the coffee table aside so they could sit in front of the fireplace on the floor to watch the fire and drink Jack's whiskey – or Daniel's wine, included in the stores the local stocked the place with for Jack. Somehow Daniel ended up lying on the floor on his back, head pillowed on Jack's lap with Jack's rough, calloused, lean fingers stroking through his archaeologist's short, dusty blonde hair and lightly massaging his skull.

The ultimate contact that Daniel was slowly becoming used to, however, was admittedly his doing. He'd started it with that request to hold Jack while they slept. Every night since, the linguist found himself crawling into Jack's bed – with the General, of course - to sleep, rather than occupying the guest room. Here, he had to come to terms with the inevitability of waking up to find himself wrapped around Jack like the bedclothes – and likewise, having _Jack_ wrapped around _him_. Not to mention the logistics that came with sharing a bed with another person; cold feet, snoring, late night bathroom trips, blanket-hogging, restless sleeping, and yes, even drooling.

Neither man would ever admit which of these applied to himself. In a silent agreement of sorts, they simply dealt with it and accepted it all, keeping the knowledge of each other's bad habits to themselves. Some things they'd already known thanks to countless missions sharing quarters or tents, but others one only discovers when sharing a bed. Daniel hadn't shared a bed with anyone since Sha're, and after ten years (give or take, Goa'ulds and alien women not included) it was something that required some adjusting to again.

What it all boiled down to, ultimately, was relearning to trust. Daniel finally realized that truth early Friday morning as he lay awake watching his bed-mate sleep from two inches away from his nose. Oh, when it came to their jobs, Daniel still trusted Jack to do the right thing, make the right decisions and choices, etc. And now their personal relationship was improving in the trust department, so things were looking up. Although…Daniel knew that no matter how solid they became each would always hold an unfathomable amount of power over the other, and that either of them was capable of abusing or misusing that trust. That's just how relationships worked. Daniel just didn't know if he was really willing to put himself on the line that way again.

The trust issue was huge between them, as last night's explosive argument had proved. Daniel let out a tiny sigh and snuggled deeper into the covers to ward off the morning chill as he remembered the confrontation. They'd been outside raking leaves and tidying up the wood pile Thursday afternoon, and talking while they worked. They had already made it through most of the last decade and now had finally come up to the most recent incident that was a bone of contention for Daniel – Daniel's stint as a Prior, and Jack's lack of belief in Daniel and trust in his word.

**XXXOOOXXX**

Daniel raked up leaves with previously unseen ferocity, frowning deeply. "_I know we've been over this same issue already, Jack. But this last time… I don't know why it still bothers me or why it bothers me so much._"

"_Daniel…it wasn't that I didn't believe you so much as…I had to be that cautious and sceptical! We had no way of knowing if you were really in control and, well, __**you**__ under that creepy Prior look you had going on._" Jack swung his axe, chopping another log – perhaps a bit more forcefully than necessary. "_Hell, you know if you'd been in my place, and it was __**me**__ where you were – or Carter, Mitchell, or that Vala woman…or __**anyone**__ – you would have been just as wary of anything __**I**__ said._"

Daniel ceased raking and stood watching Jack set up another log, eyes filled with hurt, sadness, and anger he'd thought long since forgotten. "_That's where you're wrong, Jack. And you're being obtuse. I __**knew**__ that you knew I was me. Maybe your initial caution was warranted, but after you had confirmation from Teal'c? Please. Maybe you didn't believe __**me**__, but you and I both know that not even __**I**__ can pull the wool over __**his**__ eyes. From that point on you should have had no reason to worry about my…007 routine on the dark side. I told you everything you wanted to know – probably a lot more than that – answered every question, gave you every bit of cooperation you demanded, yet…where did I end up? Strapped to a very uncomfortable chair while you left me to weasel-Woolsey and his misguided machinations._" His hands fisted at his sides and blue eyes flashed behind his glasses. Jack was staring back at him with his own whiskey browns hardening defensively, axe resting on the log nearly forgotten. "_I had a plan! A good one! But it wasn't enough for you. You've never taken my plans seriously in the past, so I don't know why I got my hopes up that you'd do so then, but I did. I even helped you and SG1 out when you all came up with that other scheme – which, by the way, held the exact same risks and dangers that __**mine**__ did but affected not just myself but SG1, too, instead of just __**me**__._"

Jack scowled and swung the axe, leaving it stuck in the chopping block and leaving his work to stalk toward Daniel. "_You didn't get it, Daniel. Then or now. You going Prior was no damned different than if you'd gotten snaked! We had no way of knowing for certain – 100%! – that you were speaking truthfully of your own violation – especially when you admitted you weren't alone up there._" Jack wagged a finger at the linguist's head. "_And I'm sorry, but as long as there was some other guy in there, someone I didn't know let alone trust, then I couldn't take your word for anything either._"

"_Like I told you all then,_" Daniel grit his teeth, wishing he could beat some sense into the obtuse General, "_Merlin couldn't control me, just tell me what to do and how to do it. Anything I did was __**me**__ not him. All he could do was protect my mind from Adria and other Priors._"

"_But we had no __**proof**__, Daniel! You had nothing to give us to prove what you said was true, and we had no way of proving that ourselves._"

"_Damn it, Jack! Can you never trust what your instincts say? I know you rely on your intuition all the time! Why is it always different with me? Teal'c believed me. __**Sam**__ believed me, and she hardly ever listens to me about stuff – just like you! Mitchell…Cam may have gotten to know me a little over the last couple of years but he didn't – doesn't – know me half as well as Sam, Teal'c, or you. And as for Vala, well, I don't blame her for not really believing me because of all of you, she has infinitely more and better reasons to be suspicious of anything involving Priors or the Ori or Adria. Sure, it hurt, but not so much as __**your**__ absolute lack of faith in me after everything we've been through together._" Daniel leaned the rake against the woodpile and ran a hand through his hair in frustrated misery. "_If this distrust of me and my actions on the job is an indication of anything, then maybe, no matter how much either of us want this…_" he waggled a finger between himself and Jack, _"…should go no farther than friendship. Because if you can't trust my judgment out there, saving the planet and the rest of the galaxy, then how can I expect you to really trust me when it comes to __**us**__?_"

Jack scoffed, a flash of panic streaking across his face almost before Daniel saw it. "_Me? It sounds like __**you**__ don't have much faith in me __**or**__ us, Dannyboy. You've had your say, and I get that you're mad and hurt, and I'm sorry, I really am. But if you were in my shoes, with the pressure I was under from the IOA, the President, the Pentagon…and my own goddamn conscience and heart…then you would have done what I did! You'd understand! I can only say that I did what I thought best for __**everyone**__ – including and most especially for __**you**__, you asshole – with the intel and facts I had that were confirmed and as true as I knew them to be._" Reaching out, he grabbed Daniel's arms, gripping tightly and shaking him as if to emphasize his point. "_And trust goes both ways, Dr. Jackson. I made a hard decision in sending SG1 off on that mission, but did you trust __**my**__ plan or your own team? No. You had to go hijack the Odyssey and me, then go rushing in after them like a heroic avenging angel._"

Blue eyes hardened into crystal shards that glinted warningly as Daniel broke Jack's hold and stepped back. "_I had no choice. You __**left**__ me with no choice. I knew they'd fail without me. I had to help them, and if I hadn't gone, they'd be dead and chances are we wouldn't be here to bitch about it now. And what's more, __**Jack**__, if I hadn't hijacked Odyssey then Woolsey would have froze me in fucking Antarctica! I'd have been even more useless to everyone! I didn't harm anyone – not even that weasel, no matter how much I'd have liked to crush him. What I did wasn't out of distrust but out of knowledge that __**I**__ had and you did not. You weren't even willing to listen anymore, even after I gave you all the info you said you needed for SG1 to attempt their crazy plan. So it's __**not**__ the same thing at all. Not even close._"

Jack glared back and threw his hands up in the air. "_For cryin' out loud, Daniel! I don't know what I could say or do that you'd accept! Why can't you understand that I do trust you. I trust you as I trust no one else, anywhere! But sometimes it's not about that! __**Sometimes**__ I have to set aside my personal feelings and act accordingly, no matter how much it hurts me or…you. I didn't earn two stars easily, damn it, and as long as Uncle Sam owns me I will continue making hard decisions like that, like it or not – for either of us._"

"_Why can't __**you**__ understand that I __**can't**__ set aside my personal feelings to make huge decisions like that? I'm enough of a scientist to be able to be objective about most things, most of the time, but I always listen to my gut instinct over my objectivity. As long as I've known you, you've never gone wrong when you did listen to your gut, Jack. But this last time…if I hadn't had the power to do what I did…_" Daniel closed his eyes, a constricting, invisible hand clenched around his heart and lungs painfully. "_Fuck it. I can't talk about this anymore. Obviously we're too fundamentally different to be able to have a real relationship, because if either of us always has that small shade of doubt…_" He turned away and plunged his hands into his pockets. "_I'm going for a walk. I…I need to think._"

As he started to walk away, Jack reached out in an effort to hold him back. It felt very much like if he let Daniel leave then he'd lose him for good, and Jack absolutely refused to allow this issue to impede the progress they'd made let alone ruin it completely. "_Daniel! Wait! Just…come inside and we'll…_"

"_No, Jack. I need some space._" Daniel glanced over his shoulder, pausing only long enough to respond. "_You need to think about what I've said, and to decide if you can trust me completely. Because I'll tell you right now, Jack O'Neill, if you can't, in every aspect of our lives, then this ends before it goes any farther and someone gets hurt._" The anguished honesty in Daniel's expressive face froze Jack to the spot and dried up any words he might have spoken. Slowly, his arm dropped back to hang at his side. The younger man nodded slightly at the acceptance, however reluctant, on Jack's face. "_I've lost everything and everyone far too many times, Jack. I won't go into any relationship easily and without absolute certainty when it comes to things like trust._"

With a final nod – almost to himself – Daniel walked off, heading for one of the nature trails.

* * *

{Daniel}

He'd walked for hours, not realizing the lateness until the sun began to noticeably disappear behind the trees of the forest around him. Overhead, clouds were forming. Shivering a bit (only then remembering he wore just a ratty old pair of jeans and a t-shirt, having stripped off his sweater when they'd started doing yard work) Daniel decided to head back to the cabin.

Twenty minutes later, he approached the building slowly. He stopped outside the door, hesitating. If he was honest with himself, he wasn't ready for another confrontation with Jack yet. But, damn the man, he had nowhere to go. Considering his options, Daniel decided he'd go in, get his jacket or sweater, then come back out again. Maybe he'd sit on the dock and watch the non-existent fish (he still didn't believe there were any) until he was ready.

Decision made, he opened the door and walked in.

A quick glance around told him Jack wasn't in the living room or kitchen. Good. He could grab his sweater – lying over the back of the couch where he'd left it – and get out again without seeing or talking to Jack. As he moved to do just that, unable to help wondering where the infuriating man was despite himself, he heard the plumbing go off, and Daniel didn't wait around for Jack to show up. He hurried over, grabbed his sweater, and hurried back out the door, allowing it to close loudly behind him. He pulled the sweater on as he made his way to the deck, where he dropped down to the wooden boards and sat staring out at the dark, murky waters while he let his mind wander.

If he'd stayed a bit longer indoors, he'd have seen a haggard, dejected Jack O'Neill, looking every one of his years and then some, come rushing out to the living room with a desperate gleam of hope in his dulled brown eyes at the sudden sixth sense that told him Daniel was there. If the archaeologist had lingered just a bit longer, he'd have seen the slump of disappointment to Jack's shoulders, and heard the whispered, "_Danny…_"

He did not see or hear any of that, however. All he could hear was the continuous never-ending flow of his thoughts…which explained how he missed the rumbles of a thunderstorm approaching.

* * *

{Jack}

After Daniel left Jack behind at the cabin, the older man proceeded to take out his frustrations on the remainder of the logs, chopping them into kindling with rapid, angry, practiced motions. When he finished, all Jack felt was exhausted and lonely. Infinitely lonely. He was certain that Daniel would come to the conclusion he wasn't worth the risk, not if Jack couldn't trust him at work, a huge part of their lives, let alone in a serious relationship that would require just as much trust and secrecy and other tough things in order to just **be** together.

Jack understood Daniel's concerns and the point he made about them. And he understood why that particular incident stood out between them like a sore thumb. Walking around to the front door of the cabin, Jack went back inside and washed up before grabbing a Guinness from the fridge and settling into his favourite armchair to think and brood.

He figured Daniel didn't realize that Jack _knew_ he'd made a mistake not listening and trusting his archaeologist the moment he'd returned to the SGC and found himself battling Woolsey in Landry's office about how they would not kill Daniel to prevent another Khalek incident. Of course, Daniel probably didn't know about how Jack fought for Daniel's life, so be wouldn't have any clue about how much Jack _did_ trust him – because if Jack didn't, honestly and truly, trust Daniel with all that was at stake, then he would have left him to Woolsey knowing his best friend would rather be dead than allowed to wreak havoc and destruction on the galaxy for the darkside.

Jack probably wouldn't live much beyond Daniel's death, of course, but no one needed to know that but Jack himself. And it hadn't happened that way, so Jack had put it from his mind when it was over. Daniel, obviously, had not. And Jack understood.

He just didn't know how to convince the man to let it go and see it his way.

Daniel's words picked and poked at his brain, despite his surety in his trust in the younger man. If he was faced with a similar situation ever again, could Jack be sure he wouldn't do exactly the same thing as last time? He didn't know, and that was a harsh truth. It wasn't likely they'd ever end up in a situation like that again, though that was small, cold comfort to Jack.

Face frozen in a seemingly permanent frown, Jack realized he was out of Guinness so he got up to get another, leaving the empty bottle in the sink. Back in his chair, he glanced at the clock on the mantle, noting that Daniel had been gone about an hour already. He contemplated going after him, but squashed the idea knowing it would only aggravate Daniel further. He'd give him until dark, and _then_ he'd go looking if Daniel hadn't returned.

Daniel had every reason in the world to be wary. It was a miracle to Jack how any one person could continuously suffer disappointment and loss and grief as Daniel had (and no doubt would continue to) and still be sane, still be fighting, still be _living_. Jack thought about that for a moment. Was Daniel really living? As far as Jack knew, Daniel didn't have a life beyond the SGC, had no friends or extra-curricular activities that weren't work related. And among the friends he did have at the Mountain (or out there among the stars), he rarely had time to spend with them beyond the job and the missions. There were no hockey and pizza nights, no BBQs, no trips to Denver to museums or bookstores, no game nights with the team…no dates, even if Daniel wanted to. Hell, the poor guy never _left_ the Mountain even when he was on the planet, since he didn't live off-base any longer.

That wasn't living, Jack knew. Even though things _were_ as bad as they were and it would have been extremely difficult to get away anyway, Jack wondered if Daniel had simply given up trying to find time to himself – for himself – and just…existed for the next mission, for the next opportunity to possibly rid the universe of the Ori and Priors and Adria for good. And what would happen to Daniel, Jack wondered, when that day finally came? What reason would he have to latch onto that would be motivation enough to keep going? Atlantis and all the knowledge and wonders yet to be found in Pegasus? Maybe. He had, after all, been willing to run away to Atlantis two years ago when he found himself alone, deserted by his team and family. But even then, he wouldn't have _lived_.

No. Jack tossed back the remainder of his second Guinness with finality. No, he wouldn't let Daniel continue to exist without any spark of happiness, without a reason to live – really live. That was why he was doing all this, after all, wasn't it? His own selfish reasons for it were incidental, secondary bonuses to the one true purpose of everything Jack had planned. He could only hope Daniel would see that, would see that what Jack did for _him_ was proof that there was trust in Daniel. More, that Jack loved him and wanted to give Daniel everything he ever wanted, all that he deserved and more.

Another glance at the clock told Jack he'd sat around brooding long enough. Feeling a bit better now that he'd found his determination and motivation again, Jack decided to make supper for them so it would be ready by the time his linguist finally did return – hopefully with a hungry stomach.

* * *

Two hours later, the soup and grilled cheese sandwiches he'd made were cold and the Caesar salad he'd thrown together was put away in the fridge.

Disconsolate and worried, Jack nursed another Guinness, sitting in front of the fireplace where the nice, roaring fire he'd built up was beginning to burn down. He glanced up and out a window, checking the light, debating if he should go out and start searching for his wayward friend.

"_To hell with it. Be mad at me, Daniel. I'd rather you were here and mad at me than out there somewhere unknown to me with no way of calling for help if you need it._" Jack said to the air, shoving himself to his feet stiffly. Mind made up, he took his bottle to the sink, then went to the bathroom.

He was washing his hands and staring at himself in the bathroom mirror when his Daniel-radar suddenly went off. Hurriedly drying his hands, he quickly opened the door and walked briskly out to the living area, desperately hoping he wasn't going crazy. Just as he was about to enter the room, he heard the cabin door shut loudly, and found himself standing in a yet empty cabin. Jack's posture drooped and he whispered Daniel's name without knowing it.

Then he noticed Daniel's sweater was gone, and realized Daniel must have come inside just to grab it because he was, no doubt, getting a tad chilly. However, he must not be ready to face jack yet so he didn't stay inside. Well, at least Jack knew he was back and okay – physically, anyway.

Going over to a window, Jack pushed aside a blind and searched the yard for the younger man. He breathed a deep sigh when he spotted him sitting on the dock, staring out across the water. It took some effort just to step back and make himself leave Daniel to it, going into the kitchen to warm up the soup and sandwiches, and put on a pot of coffee for his resident addict, instead of going outside to Daniel when he clearly wasn't welcome.

Gritting his teeth, Jack reminded himself that for Daniel, he'd have the patience of a saint.

Leaving the soup on low on the stove to heat slowly and the sandwiches in the microwave for later, Jack stretched out on the couch with a National Geographic after stoking the fire and adding another log to get it burning strong again.

* * *

He didn't know how long it had been, but he must have dozed off – lulled by the heat from the fire and the Guinness in his belly. Jack woke up with a start, the magazine falling to the floor with a thud as he sat up.

Confused, he looked around, trying to figure out what woke him. Then he remembered Daniel and got to his feet quickly.

"_Daniel? Hey, Danny, are you around?_" Jack called, glancing at the clock as he passed by. It was nearly 20:00 hours, dark outside now, and there was no answer from the anthropologist. Jack checked all the rooms in the cabin, in case Daniel had snuck in past him while he was crashed out on the couch, but nope. No Daniel.

Frowning in concern and mounting consternation, Jack made his way to the front door. He was slipping into his boots and jacket when a low rumble of thunder rolled through – loud enough to rattle the windows. It sent Jack into a near panic. Wouldn't Daniel have enough sense to come in during a storm, no matter how mad he was?

"_No. No, he wouldn't. Not if he was so lost in thought he didn't even notice the storm, the damned idiot._" Jack muttered to himself, more in worry than ire.

When he opened the door, he was greeted by a familiar, Northern Minnesota downpour. Cursing, he could just make out the man's huddled form on the dock, unmoving. Before he went out to drag Daniel inside, he rushed into the bathroom and grabbed a couple of towels, then the big, warm afghan from the guest room bed, and left the lot in the living room near the door for later. Jack eyed the umbrella on his way out the door, but decided against it, in case he had to physically muscle a stubborn linguist into the cabin.

He hurried out into the rain, feeling the moisture soak through his jacket almost immediately. When he reached Daniel, he took in the man's self-protective huddle (knees drawn up to his chest, arms hugging his legs, and head buried in his arms) and shoved any anger he may have had down. Daniel nearly broke his heart.

Carefully, Jack knelt down next to him and gently laid a hand on Daniel's shoulder, squeezing slightly. "_Daniel? Danny, please come inside, okay? You're soaked right through._"

Daniel lifted his head with a jolt at Jack's soft, clearly worried voice in his ear. "_What?_" He turned to look at Jack in confusion, somewhat dazed-looking. "_Jack?_" He glanced down at himself, then turned his face up to the sky, eyes closing behind his glasses as the rain pelted down on them.

"_Danny, come inside…_" Jack urged, nudging the man to prod him into moving. "_Please?_"

"_Jack?_" Daniel frowned, letting the older man hoist him up onto his feet. He swayed a bit until Jack wrapped a steadying arm around his waist and hung on. "_It's raining._" He sounded confused about that, almost like the few times Jack had ever seen Daniel drunk.

"_Gee, so it is._" Jack bit back the sarcasm and decided getting Daniel warm and dry was the first step to coherency. "_Let's go inside, then, shall we? I don't know about you, but I'd rather not catch hypothermia or pneumonia or something standing around out here._"

"_No. That would be bad._" Daniel agreed. He sniffed loudly, sneezed, then gave an almighty, full-bodied shiver. "_Um…it's awfully cold._"

Jack rolled his eyes and made his way to the cabin, Daniel stumbling slightly along with him. "_Ya think? Don't worry, Spacemonkey. I'll get you warm and dry as soon as possible. I promise._"

Almost falling through the door when Daniel tripped over the last step, Jack closed the door behind them and propped his mate up against it. Then he proceeded to kick off his boots, toss aside his jacket, and strip Daniel down to his boxers where he stood.

Shivering violently and continuously, Daniel didn't protest. His mind was making a reappearance by now, having returned from wherever it had been lately, and he realized how foolish Jack must think he was. Freezing, his skin a worrisome tint of blue, teeth chattering and shaking like the proverbial leaf, the linguist watched Jack grab a towel and start rubbing him down with it. Embarrassed, but touched and grateful, Daniel opened his mouth, feeling he had to say something. Anything.

"_J-Jack? S-s-sorry ab-bout thi-s._"

The General glanced at him briefly, pulling off his glasses and setting them on the side table before reaching for Daniel's head with the towel. As he dried Daniel's hair, he answered quietly.

"_Yeah, well, it's partly my fault. You had all kinds of things to set that all-too-busy brain of yours off on a tangent because of me, after all. Aht! Don't._" Jack held up a finger when Daniel looked like he was going to refute that. "_And I shouldn't have dozed off waiting for you to come in. I probably should have dragged you inside before I sat down._" Tossing the towel aside, Jack grabbed the afghan and draped it around Daniel snugly, steering him to the fireplace. "_Here, sit. Warm up. I'll get us some coffee in a second._"

"_Th-thanks._" Feeling pathetically grateful, Daniel squinted at Jack, watching him grab the other towel and dry himself off. "_And…I-I'm sorry about…b-before._"

Jack disappeared from view, going down the hall to the guest room where he hung up all of Daniel's soaked clothes to drip dry. He called back, "_What for? You have every right to be mad and careful, Daniel. And didn't we agree to no more apologies?_" Then he quickly took off his own wet clothes (not as soaked as Daniel's but still uncomfortably damp), slipped into a pair of sweatpants, and grabbed a spare set for Daniel before heading back out. "_Here's some sweats, once you're feeling a little warmer._" He said, draping them on a sofa cushion and moving to the kitchen for their coffee.

Daniel was struggling into the pants when he came back carrying two steaming mugs of java. He was still visibly shivering, too, and immediately sat back down in front of the fire and rewrapped himself in the afghan. Jack sat down next to him and waited until he'd settled before handing one mug to Daniel.

With a grateful noise, Daniel took it and wrapped his fingers around the mug, absorbing the heat. Continuing the conversation, he replied to Jack's denial of his apology. "_Maybe I do, but Jack…you only reacted how you thought best, considering what you knew. I can't blame you for that, not with the planet at stake, not when billions of lives depend on your decision. You made the same choice once before, and I guess I forgot that._" Jack frowned into his coffee mug, remembering the Enkaarans and Gadmeer. "_And the more I thought about that, the more I came to realize…_" Daniel's eyes slid away, "_I don't think I can say, honestly, that __**I**__ wouldn't do what you did if I had been in your shoes._"

Jack took a sip before answering. "_Who knows? Thankfully, we don't have to worry about that. I think we both can see the situation from each other's point of view, and we both understand why we said and did the things we did. But Daniel, I think there's a few things I need to clarify for you, because even though you get it up here,_" he tapped a finger to his forehead, "_You don't get it in here._" Jack laid a hand over his heart. "_You're still hurt, and I hope I can ease that for you, and get you to take a chance on me yet._"

Daniel paused in drinking from his mug, vivid blue eyes clear and curious over the rim, contemplating Jack. "_What do you mean? What's to clear up?_"

"_When I said I didn't trust that it was you…_" Jack sighed and set his mug aside, running fingers through his silvery hair, trying to come up with the words to explain. "_I'm not trying to wiggle out of it, Daniel. I'm telling you the absolute truth here; I didn't know you were you at the time. I needed something concrete, proof-wise, but there was no way for either of us to do that. I…because I couldn't be sure, I treated you as if you'd been snaked – Goa'uld or Tok'ra, it didn't matter._"

Light dawned and Daniel mentally began smacking himself stupid for not seeing it sooner. "_Because if I'd been snaked, the symbiote would know everything I knew almost immediately and therefore telling you things that only you and I would know about wasn't really proof that I was me, since the snakes can pretend to be the host very believably…and you equated Merlin to them since he was in my mind at the time…_"

Smiling grimly, Jack nodded, his brown eyes softening in relief that Daniel got it. "_When I said…what I said…Daniel, I wasn't really meaning __**you**__, I meant more generally 'you' – as in snaked/dead Ancient inhabiting your brain you. If you'd been alone up there,_" he nodded at Daniel's head, "_I'd have trusted and believed you completely._" Jack fiddled with the knee of his sweatpants, then picked at the edges of the afghan. "_Then everything started happening so fast…I never really go to explain myself; whether I believed you had understood already or not, I should have tried._"

"_God._" Daniel hung his head, feeling just a little light-headed as the weight of Jack's non-existent distrust just…evaporated. Without looking, he set his mug aside with one hand and reached toward Jack with the other. Long, lean, rough fingers grasped his hand and slowly wined with his until they were inescapably linked together. Looking up into Jack's earnest gaze, Daniel offered a smile and squeezed Jack's fingers. "_God, Jack, all this…time and energy and emotion wasted on a misunderstanding…_"

The corners of Jack's mouth twitched and he raised his free hand to Daniel's cheek. "_I'm so sorry I didn't come clean earlier, Danny. I should have known better._"

"_No! No, Jack, there's nothing…look, enough apologies for us, okay?_" Daniel covered Jack's hand with his own, holding it to his face. He released a deep, heartfelt sigh, absorbing the warmth and affection of that touch.

Jack felt infinitely better now that the Prior thing was really settled between them. And he could sit here and do this forever – 'this' being to sit there softly stroking Daniel's cheek and the corner of his mouth with a thumb while staring into the deepest, most vibrant pair of blue eyes he had ever seen. Eyes that belonged to the most passionate, kind, intelligent, and compassionate human being he'd ever known. Oh how Jack loved him. Watching as those blue, blue eyes smiled questioningly at him in a sleepy, content way, the General asked himself how he could have ever not understood what Daniel meant to him, how he could have denied his emotions. Thank god he'd seen the light (a glowy octopus of an Ascended Daniel was the real start) and gotten over himself, formerly repressed asshole that he used to be.

"_Jack?_" Daniel blinked lethargically at the other man, who had this dazed, dreamy expression on his face and a far away gleam in molten brown eyes. He had no idea what was so fascinating about himself, but it seemed to have Jack totally enthralled. Daniel hadn't experienced anything like it before. He'd never felt so special to anyone in quite this way. Actually it was kind of nerve-wracking. He gave a hard squeeze and tried getting Jack back again from wherever it was he'd gone. "_Ja-ack…_"

The sappiest grin Daniel had ever seen on the other man's face made him smile and chuckle. "_Whatever it is, I don't think I want to know._"

"_Daniel._" Jack shrugged and, with a laugh, leaned into plant a kiss on the linguist's forehead, then simply rested his own against Daniel's. "_Feel better? I mean, you're not shivering anymore and you aren't turning blue…_"

"_Huh? Oh._" Daniel blushed, having forgotten he'd ever been cold. Besides, he had all sorts of reasons to be warm right now. "_No, I'm fine. It was just a little rain, Jack._"

Snorting, Jack pulled away and stiffly got to his feet. Damned weather was making his joints ache (meaning his knees were killing him). "_You were definitely on your way to hypothermia out there, Danny. But I'm glad we got you all warmed up. Hungry?_" Jack padded to the kitchen, turning on the microwave to heat up his grilled cheese sandwiches (probably soggy by now) and fishing out the salad from the fridge. "_I made supper a while ago, but…_"

Daniel got up, folded the afghan neatly, and left it on the armchair, wandering into the kitchen to see what Jack made. He felt a little guilty about Jack's efforts nearly going to waste. "_I could definitely eat._" He admitted, feeling a rumble in his stomach that agreed with him. "_Mmm…soup._"

Jack made an apologetic sweep of his hand, looking endearingly sheepish. "_It's not big or special but…it felt like a simple soup day._" He poured two bowls of soup, grabbed a couple small plates for the salad, and the sandwiches. Daniel took out utensils and set them out, then slipped into the living room to retrieve their coffee mugs for refills.

Apparently the two men were hungrier than they'd thought because they at everything Jack made. While they cleaned up in companionable silence, Daniel brought up the subject of returning to work.

"_So…when were you planning on us going back to the Mountain, Jack?_" He asked, drying dishes and putting them away as Jack washed them.

Jack gave him a glance and kept scrubbing. "_Getting eager to go back already?_" he teased, hiding the flash of disappointment when he realized their week of freedom was nearly up.

"_Honestly? No. But I have so much unfinished business to deal with now…_" Daniel sighed, "_I hadn't realized how badly I needed time off until you shanghaied me and whisked me off to the cabin like that. Do you know…the last time I read a book for __**fun**__…I can't even remember it._" He sounded so wistful it made Jack's heart pang.

Jack grimaced, knowing how important it was to his mate to be able to read all manner of books just because, and not for the job. His thirst for knowledge was insatiable, a need akin to food whatever, clothing… He let his shoulder bump Daniel's. "_I kinda figured you needed a break. I'm glad I was able to do that or you, even if it's not nearly long enough nor for as long as you deserve – my own selfish motives notwithstanding._" He had the grace to flush under Daniel's raised eyebrow and the scoff that followed.

"_It wasn't what I'd call selfish, Jack. If anything, I'd call all this more self__**less**__ then selfish. Besides…we had too many ghosts to banish, and I think things will be a lot easier between us, different anyway, now that we've worked a lot of things out._"

"_Well, I don't know about easier, but definitely different. In a good way._" Jack smiled, filching the towel to dry his hands after Daniel finished drying the last dish. Tossing the towel onto the counter, he reached for his archaeologist's hand and held on loosely. "_To answer your question, Odyssey is scheduled to swing by and retrieve us Saturday morning at 0800. Unless of course they get called away on a mission or something._"

"_Ah._" Daniel gave Jack a pained look. "_Why so early?_"

"_As in why not Sunday or Monday, or why 0800?_" Jack snickered at Daniel's aggrieved pout. "_Well…I actually have a bit of a surprise – or two, or three – for you, and everything's supposed to be prepared by Saturday morning._"

Daniel squinted at him suspiciously. "_I don't generally like surprises, Jack._" Then he frowned at the suddenly nervous, almost scared look that flashed in Jack's eyes. "_Jack?_"

"_Daniel?_"

"_Jack._" A foot began to tap and eyebrows dipped warningly.

"_What?_" Jack was all innocence.

"_What did you do?_" Daniel demanded, not liking how Jack was doing his very best to be cagey when he was clearly unsure of something. "_You're worrying me. What great O'Neill scheme have you gone and gotten started?_"

"_I can't tell you yet, Daniel._" Jack tried a patient – and yes, hedging – tactic. "_It's a surprise. It's nothing bad! I promise._"

"_Then why are you acting like it'll be the end of the world if I don't like it?_" Daniel couldn't imagine what Jack would do or have up his sleeve that would be so earth-shattering. Even more suspiciously, he moved forward and backed the older man up against a well. "_And what exactly did you have planned for the second week of leave you wrung out of General Landry for me?_"

"_Look, Danny, I promise I'll tell you everything when we get back. For now, let's just say it's all for you and I really hope you like it._" Jack hastily searched for more info that he could tell Daniel without giving the whole thing away too soon. "_Uh…did I mention Cassie is going to be around and she made me promise to bring you home in time for her to get to see you before she goes back to classes._"

"_What? Cassie! She's in the Springs? Now? Why didn't anyone __**tell**__ me?_" Daniel looked positively horrified at the fact that he'd missed spending any time with her, then glared heatedly at Jack. "_You knew? And you brought me out here instead? Jack O'Neill!_" He smacked Jack on the bicep for that, hard.

"_Daniel!_" Jack protested, back-pedalling like the political pro he'd learned to be at the Pentagon. "_She knows all about the Plan and why I brought you out here. She knew you wouldn't come with me if you knew she was in town so none of us told you._"

"_Wait a minute… You mean SG1… Teal'c, Sam, Vala, __**and**__ Cameron all know about this, too!_" Daniel's eyes were huge and stormy blue. "_They're all in on this elaborate scheme of yours?_"

"_Of course they are, Danny._" Jack said quietly, gently rubbing up and down Daniel's bare arms soothingly. "_They're family, right? And I couldn't just steal you without letting your family know where you'd be. Besides, they wanted to help us fix our friendship if they could, so they're helping me – __**us**__ – out by putting the last finishing touches on my 'elaborate scheme,' as you call it._"

Mollified, Daniel huffed and let Jack draw him into a hug. "_Um…just how __**much**__ do they know?_" he inquired, curling his arms around Jack loosely in return.

"_Most of it._" Jack admitted slowly. "_I didn't come right out and say it – I couldn't after all – but they're smart. They figured out the parts they couldn't ask about and that I couldn't tell._"

Shocked, Daniel pulled back slightly and stared into Jack's eyes. "_You mean they all know that you…that there's more than friendship…that you wanted to…_" Daniel clamped his mouth shut, took a steadying breath, then exclaimed, "_And they're __**okay**__ with that?_"

Jack tilted his head with a smile. "_Yes, they know all that. And yes, they're okay with it._" His hands were moving unconsciously, tracing odd patterns over the bare, broad expanse of Daniel's back. It was distracting them both.

"_Sam?_" Daniel bit his lip and frowned, torn between shaking Jack loose so he could think properly and encouraging those rough hands. "_I mean, I know you've talked to her, and all, but…_"

"_Maybe Sam most of all._" Jack's smile got bigger. "_I think she's finally figured out a lot of things for herself and made some decisions in her life. I do know she's happy for you, and us, if things should truly work out._"

Stunned, Daniel leaned into Jack's embrace fully. "_Wow._"

"_My sentiments exactly._"

"_What about the others?_"

"_Well, I'm fairly sure T's known longer than anyone – including you and I, I might add. So he's alright with it, if not ecstatic in his Jaffa way._" Jack grinned at the laugh Daniel expelled. "_As for Mitchell, I happened to overhear a conversation between him and Teal'c, and he didn't care one way or the other. He was curious as all hell, but T set him straight – without actually telling him anything._"

"_Again – wow._" Daniel smiled though. He'd been fairly certain that Cam wasn't one of those military homophobes, and – like Jack – didn't care what people did on their downtime as long as it didn't affect the job, the mission, etc. Still, it was nice to have a little confirmation, since Daniel had grown to really like Cam and respect him. In some ways, the young officer was like a brother to Daniel. When Mitchell worked so hard to 'get the band back together,' he'd earned his place in the SG1 family, which was only right because, from the start, he'd gotten what made the SG1 dynamic, understood how they worked and why they were successful, understood their relationships to each other on and off the job. Cameron Mitchell understood what pretty much everyone outside of SG1 (extended family included) did not. Therefore, he fit right in. "_And Vala?_"

Jack absently rubbed a hand up and down Daniel's back, thinking about the feisty women he knew very little about except that she frequently go his archaeologist into massive trouble. "_I didn't really talk to her directly, but she's…very worldly, and very intelligent. I will assume because she eagerly offered to help out with the Plan almost immediately that she's fine with it, too._"

Daniel nodded and pulled away with a reluctant sigh. "_Yeah. I'll…have to have a chat with her sometime, I suppose. She's forever trying to get into my pants._"

Jack raised an eyebrow and ignored his jealous side. "_Oh?_" he replied mildly.

Daniel's smile was exasperated. "_Yep. It isn't because she's…you know, easy…_" he winced, disliking that term for anyone let alone Vala. "_I think she's just lonely, and happens to like sex, and happens to be grateful to and rather fond of me. She feels safe with us, something she's never really had before, not to mention having real friends._"

"_But you don't think she's…in love with you?_" Jack asked cautiously.

"_Ahh…no. I think she could fall for me, and I probably would love her in return, but…she's not Sha're._" Daniel looked up the mere inch or so to meet Jack's solemn whiskey gaze. "_And she's definitely not you. Maybe we're together in one of those alternate realities, but I believe that would only be because I never met you._"

Jack swallowed hard, eyes widening at the weight of emotion behind that admission. He said the only thing he could in response to the sincerity and truth shining out at him from the deep blue depths of Daniel's eyes. "_I love you, too, Daniel._"

After one long, meaningful, saccharine stare at each other, Daniel coughed exaggeratedly and gave a bright, sunny smile.

"_And that's our sap quotient for about a decade. I'm exhausted. Bed?_" He was already heading for the bedroom before he'd finished speaking.

Jack grinned widely and scratched at his head, then his chin thoughtfully. "_Yeah sure you betcha! I'll just put out the fire and lock up._"

"_Okay._"

**XXXOOOXXX**

Now Daniel was slowly coming around to the real possibility of getting his fondest wish: Major General Jack O'Neill – with two 'L's, thank you. Not just his friend, not just his co-worker, but a…what? Significant other? Partner? Lover… Maybe all those. Unable to help himself, Daniel brought his hand up to trace Jack's thing mouth with a whisper of touch by fingertip. It felt strange, and unfamiliar…and thrilling, and sweet. He'd never had this level of intimacy with another man. Sex, yes, but not the comfort or affection or trust that Daniel was discovering between himself and Jack. And that had been a very long time ago. This…being able to lie awake and watch Jack sleep on unaware, to reach out and touch him just because he wanted to and because he could in this intimate way…this was living. This was wonderful and beautiful and made Daniel want to cry with the overwhelming joy of it.

He'd regained something last night. Something that followed that old cliché about not realizing what you had until it was gone. Daniel regained his trust in Jack, his trust in _them_, together, Jack and Daniel…Daniel and Jack. And maybe, if he dared believe one last time, just maybe…he'd found what he'd looked for all his life: a place where he truly belonged and made a difference.

Home.

Those lips moved beneath his fingertips, curving slowly then pressing with the utmost tenderness against his fingertips in an unmistakeable kiss. Daniel trembled and flicked his gaze up to fall into sleepy, warm, darkened, pads of brown like burnt chocolate. His fingers slipped away, but only so far as Jack's stubbled chin where they rested lightly.

"Hey." The linguist murmured.

"Hey." His General replied huskily, voice rough with sleep.

"Did I wake you up?"

"Nah. Even if you had, it's a very nice way to."

Fingers moved again, stroking and smoothing the lines of Jack's weathered face. Daniel wiggled closer until they were nearly nose to nose. "Don't mind me…I'm just still working on getting used to the idea that I can really have this – have _you_, Jack."

Jack's nose bumped playfully against Daniel's, and suddenly his fingers were echoing the movements of Daniel's over Daniel's face. "Not an idea, Daniel. It's a fact. I'm _so_ yours."

"Sweet." There was a devilish twinkle Jack had rarely seen in his mate's fathomless eyes – growing darker with every second and slowly being hooded by his eyelids, framed with eyelashes that probably made women everywhere envious. Jack sure appreciated them.

"Daniel."

"Jack?"

"Are we having a moment?"

"I'd say so, yeah."

"Sweet. Are you going to kiss me, ravage me, and generally make me lust after you for the rest of our lives once I've experienced the Daniel Jackson way of sex?"

Daniel blinked at him once, frowned cutely as if he was trying to figure out what was wrong with that question, then burst out laughing. Jack just grinned, pleased with himself for getting that reaction out of the younger man. Daniel, in his opinion, needed to laugh more, needed more happy times in his life.

"God! You're incorrigible!" Daniel gasped in exclamation, trying to catch his breath as he lopped backward onto his back. Still shaking with mirth, he raised his arms and tucked his hands under his head.

Jack put on a mock-pout and rolled over on top of Daniel, propping himself up with his forearm so his full weight wasn't resting on the man. "What? You mean there isn't going to be a fabulous morning make-out session to start the day? We could _so_ be starting a precedent for future mornings, you know."

Daniel shook his head from side-to-side on his pillow, pulling his hands out from under his head and reaching up to smooth over Jack's bare shoulders in apology, his smile fond and regretful. "Not this time, Jack. I think…it's a little too much, too soon. Plus, I have this sneaking suspicion that if we started, we couldn't stop."

"Hey, if it's too big a step right now, then we don't take it." Jack agreed easily. He hadn't really expected his archaeologist to actually go for the suggestion. "We do have to, uh, talk about all that, I suppose."

"Yeah." Daniel sighed and wiggled out from under Jack to sit up on the edge of the bed. "Coffee?" He asked hopefully.

"Timer on the pot should have…" Jack glanced at the alarm clock. "Oh. Yeah, it went off half an hour ago. It's probably well percolated by now."

Daniel didn't hear him. He was already out the door and moving toward the kitchen.

Jack stretched, yawned, scratched at his belly absently, and wandered into the bathroom. "I'm taking a shower, Daniel!" He called out before shutting the door.

"Fine!" Daniel yelled back, pouring his first blissful mug of coffee. "Pancakes!"

"Waffles!" came the muffled reply.

Daniel blinked, drank coffee with one hand and opened cupboards with the other until he found a waffle iron hidden behind the pots and pans. "Ah ha! Waffles it is."

By the time Jack had emerged from the bathroom, Daniel had breakfast ready and waiting. When they'd finished eating, Jack cleaned up while Daniel took his turn in the shower.

The rest of the day passed by quietly, contentedly, sitting together outside on Jack's little dock. Jack fished and Daniel read his book, both enjoying the mild autumn weather and warm sunshine.

At one point, Daniel did bring up the topic of sex for their conversation. There would be fewer chances to be able to discuss this topic once they left the cabin tomorrow, he knew, and therefore they may as well get on with it.

Flipping a page, he asked, "So have you always swung both ways or is this a midlife crisis?"

Jack frowned and pried his ball cap off his face, tugging it onto his head properly as he sat up. "It's not a mid-life crisis, Daniel. I haven't had one, nor do I expect to."

"Well, you're not supposed to expect it. It just happens." Daniel pointed out reasonably. "I know you really care about me, Jack, but…I guess I can't see how you're suddenly handling the idea of a relationship with me – another male – so easily, when (as far as I knew) you were straight as a board."

"I don't believe any person is totally straight. I think everyone at some point in their lives wonders about the other side of the coin." Jack said, going through the motions of reeling in his line and tossing it out again. "In my case, though, my board has always been…warped. Until I met and married Sara, I'd played the field. Although, with the guys, I never really go so far as…intercourse." Jack felt the heat rising up his neck, sensing Daniel's complete and undivided attention on him, his book lying forgotten in his lap. "And there were never relationships. Just…relations, if you get my drift."

Daniel nodded, pretty sure he understood. "And of course you had to be very careful what with the hostile military environment you were in."

"Yeah. There's that. In all honesty, though, I probably wouldn't have had it any other way – military or not. It's no one's business but mine who I was with, ya know? I'm very private that way. I never did engage in that stupid 'locker room' macho bullshit from high school on into the Air Force." Jack shifted in his choir, relieving sore muscles that were falling asleep from sitting still so long. "After I signed up, I was too busy being a soldier to really exercise my hormones, and then I had Sara." Jack shrugged. "I admit I looked, once in a while, but it was never more than looking."

"You know, it's amazing that I never clued in that you were bi." Daniel shook his head at himself. "My people-reading skills must have some sort of blind spot when it comes to you."

Jack smiled, glancing at him. "Nah. You just saw me as I wanted you and everyone else to see me. I worked really hard to shape my image, you know."

Snort. "Please. You think I _ever_ fell for your dumb flyboy routine? For that macho asshole, hard-ass soldier shtick of yours?"

"Nope. But when it came to my sexuality, Dannyboy, I never gave away any hints about leaning in the same direction, did I? You can't read something that's not there."

"I don't know, Jack. You're well known for some off-the-wall comments that are pretty bent. It's a good cover. As for me…I was probably too wrapped up in my own, self-created image of you to really pay attention." Daniel sighed and smiled fondly at Jack. "Not that you don't have your moments as a hard-ass, macho asshole…" he teased.

"Yeah, so do you. Have your moments, I mean." Jack hastily tried explaining himself at Daniel's raised eyebrow and foreboding glare, á la Teal'c. "As a pissy, anti-military academic, that is. To be fair, however, it was usually in response to one of _my_ moments so…"

"Not always." Daniel conceded gracefully. "Others had their fair share of my moods."

"We've all been better off for your point of view and willingness to put us in our place when the occasion called for it, Dr. Jackson. I don't know where we'd be today if you hadn't stood your ground countless times."

Daniel actually blushed, touched and embarrassed by this glowing praise he felt was totally unnecessary and not as warranted as Jack seemed to believe. "Nah. You'd have muddled through somehow, Jack. Everyone at the SGC is intelligent, clever, and resourceful enough to have made it through the hard times. I'm not…"

Jack swung his chair around to face his modest linguist, fishing pole forgotten, leaning forward in earnest. "Yes, Daniel, you are very much that special, that important. Not just to the SGC or the rest of the programme, but to the whole planet! Even if they don't know it yet, nor ever will know the true extent of all you've done, lost, experienced, and given freely for the benefit of humanity."

Blue eyes were wide with shock and embarrassed gratitude. "Jack.."

"Danny, please!" Jack, determined to get this through the archaeologist's thick skin, reached out and clasped Daniel's hand. "I'm not exaggerating, here. Fact is, you've done so much, shown us so much, that we stand in awe. And we've never adequately shown our appreciation or respect. Hammond and I have tried over the years to come up with _something_ – anything! – to do that, but nothing ever seems enough. And I think it's affected you more than you'll admit. Aht! Let me finish." Jack held up a finger and waggled it in the air when Daniel opened his mouth to speak. "We've all been remiss in giving you our thanks for a job well done. We have no way of awarding you – or any other civilian, for that matter – like we do for the military personnel in the programme. Even if we did, I don't think we could because such things are in the public domain and to give you any award would be a security nightmare of epic proportions."

"I don't _want_ any awards, Jack, nor do I…"

"I'm not finished!" Jack interjected, making a zipping motion across his lips. "So hush. But all of that aside, I think that on a personal level, we – your team and colleagues – have lacked a decent show of appreciation for all that you do, and I suspect it's affected your confidence and esteem all this time, hasn't it?" Jack stated in an infinitely gentle, yet regretful, tone of voice. Daniel squirmed and looked away, unable to keep his gaze locked on Jack's. It was if the man was seeing right into his soul, laid bare for Jack to scrutinize at will. "Your apparent modesty isn't entirely modesty; it's actually that you honestly don't feel you've done anything _that_ special or important, that you've yet to do something that would make us fully appreciate you and your position in the programme."

"Jack…" Daniel tried to tug his hand away, his body retreating into himself protectively, but Jack refused to let him go. His voice was small and husky. "Jack, don't…"

"I'm so very sorry, Daniel." Jack whispered sadly, hating to see how accurate his statements were as they made Daniel immediately withdraw into himself. "It's just another of those things I'm going to spend my remaining years of life trying to fix with you. I hope someday you'll finally see that not only do we love you just because you're _you_, but that professionally you're our guiding light. Our conscience. Our very own celestial prophet."

That brought Daniel's head up, a sardonic twist to his smile. "Come on…that's a bit much."

Jack shook his head emphatically in denial. "No. It's the simple truth. I believe it completely, and I know at least six living souls who would agree with me – and three deceased ones. And probably more of those glowy folk than you or I know, not to mention a large percentage of Asgard. As you once told me…you think the Asgard named a ship after you because it sounded cool?"

Bright red and incredulous, and waffling between extreme embarrassment and exasperated love for this man, Daniel sat there staring at Jack with an absolutely stupefied expression on his face.

Completely committed to this conversation, Jack kept on going. "I _know_ you finally found that you did have a place to belong and a purpose a couple of years ago, Daniel. But I think that…you may have gotten lost again somewhere after. So much has happened to you, personally, and in general around you, in life, and I know it's really difficult to hold on to your perceived place in the grand scheme of things. But you've done such a remarkable job of staying the course and never wavering in your resolve to see this ride through." Seeing that Daniel still didn't believe what Jack was saying – or maybe that _Jack_ was saying it? – the General tried another track.

"Danny, let me ask you: in all the alternate realities we've come across – for whatever reason – why is it, do you think, that we are somehow doing pretty damn good compared to any of the others?"

The shocked man huffed and rolled his eyes. "What? Jack, come on. There are an infinite number of those realities, and just as many reasons for their existences so how could I know that?"

Jack shook his head. "No, Daniel. That's not what I'm asking you. Out of the ones we've experienced, I'm asking why things are always going so badly versus why _we_ are doing so well."

"Jack, there are still too many possible reasons to…"

"Because none of those realities have you." Jack interrupted before scientist-Daniel could go off on a tangent. "Maybe in some of them you were there at one point but the moment you weren't everything went to hell for that reality. And sure, those of us left over continued the fight as best we could, maybe even succeeding to a certain extent, but we are still better off here."

Daniel moved from incredulous to downright flabbergasted. "I…I…no. I'm not that special or…cosmically important! Come on, Jack! No one person could hold that kind of influence."

Jack held his mate's gaze steadily. "I think some people can. I think you do. I've seen it, Daniel, enough to really believe it. I think it's entirely possible for one person to influence the course of humanity's development that significantly with words and/or actions. You're the history expert, here. You can't tell me that you don't know a few names right off the top of your head that have managed to influence humanity's path just by being who they are or doing what they did to get their names in all the history books."

"It's not that simple, Jack. You think just by being here I'm somehow causing humanity to go down a certain path that just happens to be a fairly decent one compared to the very few we've seen?" Daniel just couldn't wrap his head around that idea. It was…arrogance of the supreme kind to think he had that kind of power, and Daniel had seen where that arrogance could lead – in the Goa'uld, in the Ori, _and_ in himself from that dream Shifu used to 'teach' the linguist why his genetic knowledge was so dangerous.

He did not ever want to be that monster.

"No, Jack. I don't want that power and I don't have it."

Jack smiled gently, unconsciously rubbing this thumb over the soft skin on the back of Daniel's hand still firmly held in Jack's. "Well, whether you believe that much or not doesn't matter. The point is that you are that important to a lot of people, and that we all have a huge amount of respect for that. Fact is, you don't have to believe all of that yourself. Just keep on being you, Dr. Daniel Jackson, and the rest of us will follow willingly wherever you lead us."

Daniel was appalled to feel his eyes watering with unshed tears and he let his head drop, chin meeting chest, as he tried to collect himself. He stared at the slightly darker-skinned, weathered, rough hand that was curled around his own. Never in his life had he ever felt so appreciated, so full of someone else's pride and respect in him and in his achievements. And at his age he hardly ever expected to ever have someone in his life that was proud of him.

Sniffling loudly, Daniel pulled off his glasses with his free hand and rubbed an arm across his wet eyes before putting them back on and giving Jack a shaky, somewhat watery smile of gratitude.

"You never cease to amaze me, O'Neill." He commented lightly, squeezing Jack's hand. "And how did we get from your sexuality to my cosmic importance? Way to deflect the subject, Jack."

"Ah...not on purpose." Jack grinned boyishly, his own eyes suspiciously bright with moisture. "It's just really important to me that you understand that you are appreciated and respected, that's all." He tilted his head at Daniel. "Was there anything else you wanted to know?"

Daniel shook his head. "No. Not right now, at least – not this early in the relationship, I mean."

"Okay. But, so you know, if there's something you ever want to know, please ask me. I don't want you to feel like you shouldn't intrude or that you have no right to know something about me because, Danny, if there's anyone who deserves to know things about me, who's allowed to pry into my life…it's you." Jack said, completely serious. "I won't hide anything from you. I've learned the hard way what secrets do to a couple, and I never went to see that happen to _us_."

"Me neither, Jack. And ditto, on the 'ask me stuff' part, I mean." Daniel offered, his smile turning shy. It was absolutely endearing to Jack, who grinned.

"Hey, you know me! If I wanna know something, I _will_ pester you until you tell me."

Blue eyes rolled good-naturedly. "Yes, Jack. I'm quite familiar with curiosity."

Still grinning, Jack finally released Daniel's hand with one last squeeze and returned to his fishing equipment. "So, Dannyboy…"

"Hmm?"

"What's your story? You're taking my…advances quite well."

Daniel shrugged and picked up his book. He didn't have much trouble talking about the subject when applied to himself, surprisingly. "I had a couple relationships with other guys but it never lasted long. I had better luck with women, and even those relationships were short-lived. I'm not very good at relationships, Jack."

"No. I think you've just had the world's worst run of luck, that's all. You were doing fine with Sha're, right?"

Daniel sighed, closing the book as memories assaulted him. "Honestly? Probably not as well as either of us would have preferred. It's bad enough that I had no real idea what to do with a girl when it came to dating, but suddenly I was married. And to make it all that much more difficult, I was not only on another planet but married to a woman of a completely different culture. As a husband I think I disappointed Sha're a great deal." He smiled sadly, remembering his beautiful, strong-willed wife. "I loved her, and I made sure she knew that, but in a relationship…love isn't always enough. Even if I failed miserably at that role, though. I wouldn't have chosen differently. I wouldn't have come home with you, Kawalsky, and Ferretti, Jack. I found a chance to have everything I ever wanted on Abydos, and I couldn't have passed it up."

"No. I would hope not. It's why I let you stay, Daniel. I understood what Abydos meant to you, even if I didn't know you well beyond your file and our short experience together on Abydos." Jack cast his line once more, raising his feet to prop them on the closed lid of a cooler. "I wish we could have gone back more often to visit. We could have explored some more, spent some time with Skaara and Kasuf…"

Daniel smiled softly at Jack's musing. He knew the older man held Abydos and it's people in a very special part of his heart and memory, just as Daniel did. In a way that no one else understood – expect maybe Ferretti – Abydos was _theirs_. Daniel's and Jack's. Even Lou didn't have the attachments that they did to that sandy, hot planet. And despite that the planet was gone, their Abydonian friends and family somewhere above their plain of existence as Ascended beings, Daniel knew that no matter what, he and Jack would always have Abydos between them, with them.

"Why did none of your male relationships work out?" Jack asked curiously.

Daniel glanced at him, shrugging self-depreciatingly. "Oh, all kinds of reasons, I guess. One or two for the same reasons Sarah and I didn't work – I didn't have the right kind of ambition career-wise, and I was too involved in my work and studies for their tastes. There were a couple who simply were not compatible with me for a long-term anything. And there was one who seriously disliked that I was bi. He was particularly possessive, and he didn't like that I could not only see the benefits of either gender but I could enjoy them, too." Daniel scratched his head absently. "Actually, I believe he was the last guy I ever dated, because shortly after I was on Dr. Jordan's staff and soon dating Sarah. It wasn't very long after Sarah broke it off that Catherine recruited me to the project."

Jack frowned, but nodded in understanding. "I can get that. It's hard enough competing with members of one gender, but both? Still, that guy had serious insecurities and issues if he couldn't see how loyal you are. He obviously had trust issues."

"I guess. But…I don't think it really mattered if it was me with him or someone else. I got the impression that he would have acted that possessive and jealous with any of his lovers, gay or bi." Daniel stretched out his legs, then his arms.

"Well, I can't promise to never get jealous, Danny, but I won't let it affect us. I trust you implicitly. It's everyone else I don't trust."

Laughing, Daniel picked up his chair and moved it so that he was sitting side-by-side with Jack. Propping his feet up next to Jack's on the cooler, Daniel held out his hand, palm up, inviting his General to take it and hold it. "Don't worry, Jack. I'm fairly sure I'll have my moments, too.'

Smiling with smug contentment, Jack grasped Daniel's offered hand, linking their fingers intimately.

After another couple of lazy hours outside, they packed everything up and went inside, where they spent the remainder of their evening cleaning up the cabin and packing up their stuff for the early morning departure the next day. Finally, they had a late supper, a quiet game of chess with the last of Daniel's wine and Jack's Guinness, and went to bed.

This time, Daniel fell asleep to the soft snores of his gruff old General with Jack's arms banded around his linguist and his face buried against the back of Daniel's neck. It was the serenity, peace, and sense of safety and belonging that gave Daniel a deep, dreamless, restful sleep that night, and he knew from his first waking moment the next morning that he could easily get very used to it.

When _Odyssey_ beamed them aboard Saturday morning, Daniel had decided that, no matter what happened in the future, taking the risk this one, final time and accepting everything Jack was offering him was worth it.

And if the PTB took this happiness from him as they had everything else in his life, then he probably wouldn't survive much longer beyond that loss anyway. He was infinitely tired of solving the universe's problems at the expense of himself. All Daniel wanted was one thing, one person, one small piece of happiness and that was Jack.

Because, like all those years ago on Abydos, Daniel recognized the significance of what exactly it was Jack was offering to him…

Home. And everything that went with it.


	4. Part IV

_Disclaimer_: Kali & Muses do not own Stargate; we just borrowed it for this fanfiction.  
_Warnings_: slash in the form of Jack/Daniel

_Big thanks to my new beta, Cryysis!_

**~ Part IV ~**

**Chapter I**

"No, Daniel you may not have your cell phone back until _after_ the surprise."

Daniel crossed his arms over his chest, trying not to look or sound petulant (despite the pout that was overtaking his bottom lip). "I don't know why you had to confiscate it in the first place! I just wanted to check in with Sam and make sure things were alright while I was away."

"You can do that later. And Landry _told_ you everything was relatively fine when we dropped by earlier. He wouldn't lie to you, Daniel."

The pout thinned with exasperation. "Jack…he was talking about work. _I_ was talking about personal stuff."

"Such as?"

Daniel slanted a look at the man in the driver's seat of the uncharacteristically sporty rental car as Jack deftly drove them from the Mountain to…whenever it was they were going. "Such as, has anyone strangled Vala yet? Do I have to bail her out of jail? Did she spend all my savings again maxing out my credit cards on shopping sprees? Little things like that."

"I'm sure Carter, Mitchell, and Teal'c are capable of babysitting your sticky-fingered friend, Daniel. And I'm pretty sure Vala likes you wa-ay too much to do anything like that, things that would cause you trouble. Not after spending over two years around you, and at least one year living here and learning the way things work on Earth." Jack pointed out, hoping it would alleviate some of Daniel's concerns. "She's earned her place on SG1, and she's learning what all that means, isn't she?"

Frowning, but finding he had to agree with Jack, Daniel reluctantly nodded. "Yeah, I suppose. She's a good person, Jack…she just hasn't quite mastered the concept of finances here on Earth. And I'm a little worried about how the others have managed keeping her occupied on their leave." Daniel looked at Jack with a considering expression, a slow grin spreading over it. "She's very much like you, you know. If she doesn't have a mission to keep her busy, then I swear she's got on acute case of ADD."

Jack pulled to a stop at a red light and sat tapping his fingers on the steering wheel, scowling. "I just like _doing_ things most of the time. I can sit still and be lazy just as well as anyone can!" Daniel caught the muttered, "And I do not have ADD!" under Jack's breath, which made him snicker. "Look, I just have to stop at this Walgreens for a moment, and I'll be right back." The older man informed his passenger as he pulled into the parking lot of the chain drugstore.

Daniel shrugged. "Okay. I have no idea what's going on, so…"

"Want or need anything? I can grab it while I'm in there." Jack offered, shutting off the engine and opening his door to get out.

"Something chocolate." Daniel said, thinking about it. "With nuts."

"Of course." Jack rolled his eyes and shut his car door, then walked off with purposeful strides. Daniel watched him go, sighing with appreciation for the view of Jack's denim-clad ass working – along with powerful leg muscles – under the jeans with each step.

It wasn't a new concept for Daniel to look (re: leer) at his friend's butt, though it had been a while since he'd last bothered to indulge himself. Only now it was different in that Daniel finally really believed that he had every right to watch Jack's fine ass and covet it like he did…well, chocolate. Or coffee. Or some heavenly combination thereof. Not only that, but he could look and not care if Jack caught him ogling because Jack – apparently – wanted Daniel. It still floored the archaeologist to think of it but he was getting used to the idea.

Although…he did wonder when Jack was going to get around to kissing him, even though he understood that the man wanted to go slowly so as to give Daniel a chance to truly believe it was real, and to learn to trust Jack again. But kisses were okay in Daniel's book. Great, even. And he really wished he knew what Jack was up to with this big surprising of his. It was making Daniel very nervous with all this hush-hush secrecy. He knew perfectly well why Jack had _really_ nabbed Daniel's cell that morning…

…Because Jack didn't want Daniel talking to anyone who might accidently give the surprise away.

Shaking his head at himself (and Jack) Daniel turned his thoughts away from the big scheme and thought about Cassie. Maybe they could take the young woman out for supper to a nice restaurant, then maybe a movie or something fun. Daniel was looking forward to seeing his 'niece' again after so many months apart.

Before he knew it, Jack was back, opening his car door (startling Daniel out of his reverie) and sliding smoothly into the driver's seat with a plastic shopping bag in his hand.

"That was quick." The archaeologist commented, glancing at the bag. "What did you need anyway?" Curiosity laced his voice, making Jack grin and pull out an item.

"First, your chocolate bar." Jack handed him the dark chocolate almond bar. "Daniel immediately started peeling off the wrapper and took a large bite.

"Mmm…hmm… that's the stuff. Thanks." Daniel said, looking perfectly blissful as he chewed and swallowed. "And?"

Jack shook his head in amazement at the sounds and look of pleasure his mate made and wore because of a chocolate bar. "Wow. I'm really hoping I can compete, someday, with that damned bit of confection you're so hot for." Daniel just looked at him in confused innocence, taking another non-healthy bite. "And…secondly, I wanted to get something to blindfold you with. For the rest of the trip to your surprise." Jack explained, pulling out a roll of medical gauze and tape. Daniel paused in his munching to eye both the gauze and Jack suspiciously.

"And we couldn't use a bandana or whatever because…why?"

"Because I'm gonna drive around randomly to confuse you first before I take you to our final destination, and it'll look very suspicious to passers-by – including police officers on patrol – to spot a guy blindfolded in the passenger seat. It'll seem like I could be kidnapping you or something."

"Which you have…"

"Have not. I invited you and you're too damn curious to turn me down so you came along of your own free will." Jack stared hard at Daniel. "My point is that if you're bandaged up then it just looks like I'm a good buddy taking care of you post-surgery or accident, or whatever."

Now Daniel gave Jack a slightly amazed look. "Gee. Must be something you learned in Special Ops: how to kidnap someone and not make others suspicious."

Snorting indignantly, Jack opened the gauze packaging and found the end of the roll. "Smart-ass. Give me your glasses for now and let me wrap this around your head, Daniel." He didn't wait for the man to take them off himself, instead Jack simply plucked them off Daniel's nose and neatly folded them, setting them on the dashboard for the moment.

"Ja-ack…" Daniel squinted at him, ruining his scowl of complaint. "This is ridiculous."

"No it's not." Jack swatted his hands when they reached for the glasses and twisted in his seat to reach over with the gauze to begin the wrapping process. "And would you _please_ stop bitching? You're supposed to be excited at the prospect of getting a great surprise, not ruining my good mood or my attempt to make this fun."

Instantly contrite, Daniel's shoulders sagged and he sat still while Jack continued to loosely (but not _too_ loosely) wrapt the "blindfold" around his head to cover his eyes. He didn't even point out that he could barely see anything without his glasses or contacts and thus the gauze was totally unnecessary.

"Hold the end down for a minute." Jack requested, waiting until Daniel obediently did so then ripping off a couple strips of the tape to hold the end of the gauze down, holding it all in place. "There. How's it feel?"

"Like you've attempted to mummify my head."

"Har har. I _meant_ is it too tight? Or uncomfortable somewhere?"

"Well of course it's…"

"Daniel!"

"No. It's fine."

Jack huffed and held up three fingers. "Can you see my hand?"

"No."

"How many fingers?"

"On your hand? I'd hope the standard five. If you mean that you're holding up…I don't know because I can't see them."

Since there was no way for Jack to prove otherwise, he took Daniel's word and turned the car on, carefully putting Daniel's glasses onto his shirt pocket before strapping himself in with his seatbelt and pulling out of his parking spot.

"I don't know what bee got in your boney today, Daniel, but I sincerely just want you to have fun." Jack gripped the steering wheel as he pulled out into traffic and began driving randomly to confuse his passenger. _Because if_ _you don't like the house, then it'll be the last piece of excitement and happiness I'm likely to ever have._ He added silently.

"First, I'm not wearing a boney nor have I for years. Second, I'm sorry. I'm not being…recalcitrant on purpose, Jack. I just…most surprises in my life haven't been fun or nice or good in any way." Daniel hugged himself and stared (relatively speaking) straight ahead, his voice apologetic.

Jack grunted, reaching over with his right hand to pat Daniel's knee for a moment. "I know. Life's been a true bitch to you. But, Dannyboy, you trust me in the field and with all manner of other important stuff, so trusting me to surprise you with something good should be easy as pie, right?"

Daniel nodded, unable to argue with Jack's logic.

Jack drove aimlessly for another ten minutes, then made his way to the house. He pulled into the driveway and killed the engine. "Okay we're here. Now hold up and I'll get you out of the car before you take off the gauze."

Somewhat apprehensive, Daniel opened his car door, took off his seatbelt, and swung his legs out but stayed sitting until Jack was suddenly there guiding him out to stand (without whacking his skull on the car in the process) and then led a few steps away from the car.

Jack dropped Daniel's hands and had to take a very deep, nerve-settling breath as he lifted his own to pull the gauze off. "Here we go…"

Daniel blinked and squinted hard at the sudden brightness of sun again. He felt Jack slip his glasses back onto his face and blinked some more until he could see without his eyes watering or squinting. The first thing to come into focus was Jack, watching him anxiously with hopeful whiskey eyes. The next was the very familiar surroundings of Jack's former residence.

"Uh…this is your house. I mean, you _old_ house that you don't own anymore." Utterly confused, Daniel looked at the house (which did look a little different somehow, but he couldn't quite figure out why) then back at the fidgeting general. "Why did you bring me _here_, Jack?"

To his complete surprise, Jack dropped his head, shuffled his feet, and refused to look at him again. "Jack?"

"Well…it's like this: the deal fell through at the last minute, so I never actually sold the place. For a while, I didn't know what to do with it – you know, try selling again, or just rent it out, or whatever – so I just left it until…I came up with an idea that I thought was just the best thing for it…and for you. And maybe even me, I hope. Maybe." Jack stuffed his hands in his pants' pockets, the fingers of one hand curling around the warm metal of the house keys.

"I'm not sure I understand." Daniel scratched his ear absently, glancing up at the house again as if he'd see answers there.

Jack pulled the keys out and held them out to Daniel. "The house is yours, Danny. To do with as you see fit, though I sort of hoped and planned…and hoped some more that you'd, maybe, see fit to call it home, and that would, maybe, include me?" Still holding out the keys, Jack risked a peek to threat-assess his linguist's lack of response after a pregnant bout of silence.

Daniel was standing there, staring at him in absolute shock, jaw dropped and bright blue eyes huge behind his glasses. His mouth opened and closed a few times in a 'fish out of water' way but no sound other than a squeaky kind of gurgle came out.

Floundering, Jack started talking again. Quickly. "Okay, so maybe it's a little fast, but Daniel I really do love you, and I want more than anything to give you a place to make into a home – a real home – and I would very much like to be a part of that. The papers are all signed and ready for your signatures, and I had Lou come in and make a few renovations so the place is more suitable for your needs, and this week Carter and Cassie, Teal'c, Lou, and even Mitchell and Vala helped get the place cleaned up and set up with all your stuff…the things you had in storage? So you can move right in immediately, and…"

"Jack?"

Unwittingly, Jack met Daniel's stunned gaze and swallowed back the flow of words. And now he couldn't speak, his mouth going dry. He nodded instead to indicate he was listening.

Daniel was floored. Flabbergasted, even. Never in a million millennia would he have guessed that _this_ was what Jack had schemed. He believed he was hearing what Jack was telling him – no, what Jack was _offering_, but he was having a hard time understanding what drove the man to go through all this elaborate planning and staging.

"I…you…" He had to stop and pull himself together, clearing his throat repeatedly to get rid of the hoarseness and rather large lump that was making him sound all croaky like a bullfrog with laryngitis. "You're giving me your house? Just like that?"

Jack nodded, watching him with increasing anxiousness, still unable to say anything.

"And you got Ferretti to do some renovations, for me. And you had my team and Cassie clean and move me in while we were in Minnesota. For me."

Emphatic nodding and an endearingly hopeful look from Jack.

"All because you think I need a place to call 'home,' and because you love me you're hoping this will prove it to me and I'll want you to live here with me? As in forever, happily ever after, 'till death do us part – even if we know death rarely ends anything?"

Jack blinked, puzzling through all that, then nodded even more vehemently and offered a tentative smile. He also jingled the keys, still held outstretched in front of himself.

Daniel Jackson, PhD times three, peaceful explorer of the universe, genius and apparently most loved of General Jack O'Neill, slowly stepped forward, reached up and closed his hand around the keys and said General's fingers, the other hand closing over their joined hands to trap Jack's between Daniel's own. And he smiled, brilliantly, giving Jack's hand a minute squeeze and slight tug.

Jack took the hint, moving until he was standing so close they were practically breathing each other's air. His free hand came up to brush Daniel's cheek then slide back to cup the base of Daniel's head, leaning forward to rest his forehead against this soulmate's.

"Is this a 'yes'?" he whispered in a thick, ragged voice.

"No." Daniel murmured back, releasing Jack's hand (taking the keys away) and winding one arm around Jack's shoulders, the other around Jack's middle, preventing him from escaping. "This is a _hell_ yes!" He looked over the rims of his glasses into Jack's dark eyes, quirking an eyebrow and a grin as if daring the older man to retaliate – right before he tilted his head up and found Jack's mouth with his own. It took a few seconds, but then Jack was kissing him back, his arms snapping around Daniel tightly, possessively, and a noise that was almost like pain came from somewhere deep in Jack's throat, swallowed up by Daniel's kiss.

The fierceness of Jack's joy kept them lip-locked rather chastely for quite some time, neither man willing to let go of the other. When they finally did break away to breathe, Jack buried his face in Daniel's neck and clutched him desperately. Daniel was little better, holding onto Jack with equal need, and he murmured against Jack's ear in Abydonian and Ancient all the things he'd always wanted to say to the man but had kept locked away in a small, safe corner of his heart and mind all these years – his love, his admiration, his respect, and his desire. And he knew Jack understood enough of what he said to understand what he had always meant to Daniel all this time, though good times and bad.

The force of Daniel's love was almost tangible to Jack, and it made him gasp and his knees threaten to buckle. Since he was in this completely, and couldn't get any more soppy if he tried, Jack did the one thing he knew would communicate to Daniel that he did understand – every word and emotion – and that it was reciprocated.

In the dialect of Ancient he and Teal'c had spent untold weeks learning during the infamous Looping incident, which came back to him with surprising ease, Jack pulled back from Daniel far enough that he could look the younger man right in the eyes, held his face between his hands, and spoke his heart clearly and unrestrained.

"_Te amo, Daniel. Amorem maxium me es…amorem solum me es! Mei spiritus conjugii, Daniel…_" **(1)**

Daniel could hardly believe his ears. Jack O'Neill was saying these things directly, openly, and in _another language_ to him. Daniel. But then the meaning of that, with the vulnerability and sincerity in Jack's soulful eyes, told him everything he could ever want to know.

Jack suddenly found himself holding an armful of shaking, clinging, sniffling anthropologist. Then he heard the softly spoken flow of watery words, muffled by his neck, as Daniel returned the sentiments with equal passion.

Neither Jack nor Daniel were entirely sure how long they stood in Jack's former car-park – now Daniel's – holding onto each other for dear life. Eventually it was Daniel who separated them, wiping at his damp eyes and face and pulling out a cleaning cloth for his glasses. Jack was little better, being decidedly misty, and rubbed roughly at his face.

"Well. Are we about done emoting all over each other? 'Cause…now I'm all afire with curiosity about what you did with the place." Daniel put his glasses back on and smiled. Jack's heart skipped a beat because this was a truly happy, bright smile that had never been seen on Daniel's face by Jack in the eleven or so years he'd known the younger man. Jack could only smile back.

"Yeah, sure, you betcha." The USAF officer made a sweeping motion with his arm. "After you, Dr. Jackson."

Eagerly, Daniel hurried past Jack, up the front steps and inserted the key in the lock. Jack followed his mate inside with a smug saunter, shoving his hands into his pants' pockets casually."

The linguist saw the living room first and immediately veered left to go inspect it. He smiled, noting many objects around the room that were his (though there was no furniture, since he'd sold all his own with his apartment pre-non-_Daedalus_), including his very beloved baby grande piano. He also noted the fresh paint on the walls, the new recessed lighting, and the shiny new hardwood floors. Oh, and the new mantle on the fireplace, where the pictures in their frames were displayed – all of which were Daniel's pictures. One was of Sha're, Skaara, and Kasuf standing with Daniel on Abydos, and the other was of just Sha're. Another was of SG1 and their extended family members (Jack, Daniel, Sam, Teal'c, Janet Fraiser, General Hammond, Jacob Carter, Bra'tac, Cassie, and Lou Ferretti) taken after the goodbye party held at the SGC when Lou retired from active duty. There was another picture, obviously older than the others, that was one of the few Daniel still had of his parents, and one of a painfully young version of the archaeologist sitting on a camel with two fellow students on a dig in Egypt, the Great Pyramid in the background. And then Daniel spotted the newest picture, one that had not been among his stuff before. It was his new version of SG1, with newer additions to their little family. Daniel went over and picked it up to study it with a misty smile.

"Look, Jack…they left me a new picture." Daniel held it out to Jack, who came up beside him silently. Jack took it and laughed. Hank Landry looked pleased as punch to be included in the picture, smiling with an almost paternal affection as he watched the SGC's flagship team goof off for the picture. Mitchell was standing next to Landry (who sat casually on a rock) with Sam on his other side and an arm around her shoulders. He was making a peace sign for the camera with a big grin on his face. Sam was smiling widely, too, and also making a peace sign – above Mitchell's head. But the funniest part of it was the normally stoic Jaffa and ex-thief. Teal'c stood next to Sam with and aggrieved but amused smile on his face (and wow! Teal'c smiling…creepy), his expression relaxed and oddly content. And draped over his back as if she'd leapt up there for a piggy back ride was a beaming Vala, waving at the camera and clutching at the big man's shoulders. A highly amused Carolyn Lam stood off to the side, behind her father, with her hand resting on his shoulder. Everyone was dressed in civies, and appeared to be somewhere outside, possibly up on Cheyenne Mountain somewhere.

"Good picture." Jack decided, replacing it on the mantle. "Fits right in with all the rest."

"I've been meaning to take one for a long time now. I just never got around to it." Daniel sighed happily. "And by the way, I love the new floors and all."

"Ah, but you haven't noticed the best part yet." Jack grinned and grabbed Daniel by the shoulders, spinning him around to face the dining room and kitchen. "Tada!"

"Whoa! Oh, wow, Jack! You knocked down the walls! It really makes the space open up!" Daniel, wide-eyed, headed for the kitchen. "And new counters! Granite?" He glanced at Jack, running a hand over the countertop of the new island cabinets and counter.

Jack nodded. "Tile. Lou chose most everything you see. I haven't got the design gene, so I let him pick stuff out." Jack nodded at the fridge. "New appliances, too."

"I see that. Wow, Jack. I…I can't believe you did all of this with…_me_ in mind." Daniel blushed, looking very shy and humble all of a sudden. As endearing as it was to Jack, he couldn't let the man have time to start making objections.

"I would and will always do anything for you, Daniel. Besides which, the house needed a few updates, so why not go all out? You haven't even seen the rest yet." Jack winked and gestured to the kitchen entrance to the hall beyond. "Keep going, Danny."

"There's more?" Daniel's eyebrows rose in disbelief, but he quickly went where Jack indicated. Out in the hall, he spotted the closed, double oak doors and paused. "Those weren't there before. Did you get the office renovated, too?"

The older man's expression went mysterious. "Yes, but leave it for last. Go upstairs first."

Extremely curious, Daniel reluctantly obeyed and climbed the stairs. "What did you get done up here?"

"Well, nothing as extravagant as the main floor. New paint, new floors, and a few updates to the master bathroom." Jack flipped on the lights in the master room and led Daniel to the bathroom. "See? Lou was going for that fancy spa look. He put in some kind of fancy new shower, with new tile and floors."

Daniel whistled lowly. "Wow. This is great! Makes me wanna jump in the shower right now and try it out."

Jack's eyes practically crossed at the image in his brain of a naked, wet Daniel. "Uh…later. More to see, Danny!" He very nearly dragged his linguist out of the room – Daniel chuckling knowingly.

"I can't believe the team actually moved all my stuff in while we were gone. I'll have to think of some really great way to thank them for all this." Daniel mused, not bothering to resist Jack's insistent tugging, preferring to let the man keep his firm hold on his hand as they made their way back downstairs.

"Have a BBQ in their honour." Jack suggested.

"Maybe." Daniel figured he'd come up with something more than a simple BBQ. But later, because now they stood outside the double oak doors.

"Okay, so…this is the icing on the cake, Daniel." Jack blocked the doors with his body for a moment, looking almost as nervous as he'd been outside earlier when they'd first gotten to the house. "This room was really what started all the rest of the improvements you've seen. I knew you'd need a lot of space for a decent study/library, and so…sort of had Lou build a small addition onto the house to expand my old office a little. This room I had very specific requirements for, and I am extremely impressed with Ferretti because he really surpassed all my expectations." Swallowing visibly, Jack stood back and allowed Daniel to move forward, twisting the door knobs and pushing the doors open with a flourish.

Flabbergasted and awed, Daniel stood stock-still in the doorway as he took in the enormity of the luxurious, warm and homey study. Sunlight filled the room from the huge windows, illuminating the bookshelves, all his artefacts and artwork, all his books and journals, the new desk in one corner and the hardy work counter in the middle of the room. Unconsciously, he began a slow tour of the room, opening cupboards, picking up objects he hadn't seen in a few years, and generally trying to take it all in.

Jack watched him from the door, smiling with unbearable softness at the wonder and disbelief in Daniel's expression. Cassie, he decided, had been 100% bang on when she told Jack that Daniel would love it.

"This is…" Daniel's voice cracked with emotion. He'd always dreamed of having a home study just like this, and it absolutely floored him that Jack _knew_ him so well, _knew_ exactly what Daniel would want. "This…I can't believe…"

A speechless linguist was enough to make Jack grin goofily, supremely satisfied with himself. "Pretty cool, huh? Oh! And check this out." Jack walked over to where the pull-cord rope was and reached up to tug on it as Daniel joined him. "Lou…well, let's just say this was a gift – a bonus, if you will – in the off chance that you decided to keep me for some reason." The stairs slowly descended and Daniel peered up to see where they led.

"What's up there? Attic?" he asked, curiosity growing. It was almost like exploring a new tomb just discovered.

Jack took his hand and, grinning like a little kid now, led Daniel up the stairs to the door. He pushed it open and pulled Daniel out into the sunshine-filled observatory deck. "this is really great, isn't it?"

Smiling, the younger man took in the view of the backyard and the privacy of the small deck thanks to the rest of the house and the giant trees surrounding the property. "It is."

"Now just imagine being up here on a nice, clear night, when you almost don't need a telescope to gaze at the stars…" Jack slipped up behind Daniel and curled his arms around him, resting his chin on Daniel's shoulder. In his ear, Jack continued in a voice that dropped low, intimate, and husky. "Just us. You and me, and the universe spread out above us…a universe of stars and planets that you gave us – gave _me_ – when you opened that Stargate twelve years ago."

Overwhelmed into a state of absolute speechlessness, Daniel turned in Jack's arms and captured that beguiling, irreverent mouth with his own. It was the only way he could come up with that in doing so, he'd just trade one set of overwhelming emotions for another set of equally overpowering sensations. He was absolutely surrounded by Jack, the hardness and strength of Jack's arms and body, the pressure and heat he generated whenever their bodies touched, pressed, and rubbed, the heady scent of the older man in his every breath – Jack's aftershave, the faint fragrance of his shampoo, the tinge of coffee in Jack's breath, all combined with his own unique scent and the increasing musk of arousal… Then his focus narrowed to their joined lips, mouths trying to devour each other and tongues slickly duelling after only the few startled moments it took Jack to realize what was happening and respond with ardent enthusiasm.

One of Jack's hands slid up Daniel's spine to palm the back of his head while the other arm trapped his lover against him tightly, earning an enticing squeak and a low groan from the man. In response, Daniel lifted an arm and curled it around Jack's neck, gripping the opposite shoulder hard while his other hand found purchase on Jack's hip. The archaeologist gave himself up to the nearly-forgotten passion of the moment, surrendering everything to this man whom Daniel no longer doubted loved him – soul deep.

Even if he could have scraped together the brain cells to consider it, thoroughly distracted and debauched as he was, he couldn't have explained what it was that finally pushed him into his belief, the real knowledge of the truth. It wasn't the house, or any of Jack's explanations about the past, or his declarations of love (no matter what language he said it in, though it _did_ help). Whatever it was, it could not be quantified or qualified. Daniel just _knew_. And it left him exultant, euphoric, and whole in spirit as he'd never felt before – not even when Ascended.

Eventually they eased back, exchanging slower, deeper – but no less fervent – kisses until they simply held on to each other, both reluctant to let go.

"Wow." Jack managed, voice gone smoky and raw. "I always wondered what a Daniel Jackson Abydonian kiss would be like."

Daniel, feeling decidedly giddy, simply chuckled. "Abydonian?" he inquired, rubbing his cheek against Jack's.

"I saw you kiss Sha're twice, and both times it was one of those kisses you always see in the movies with sparks and things exploding and time slowing to a stand-still…ya know? The kind that gave meaning to the team 'suck face.'"

Grinning, Daniel leaned back in Jack's arms so he could meet Jack's eyes. "So instead of 'Earth-shattering' it was 'Abydos-shattering?'"

"Pretty much." Jack grinned back.

"So did the earth move for you?"

Groaning, Jack rolled his eyes and spun Daniel around, herding him to the door to go back inside. "Okay, let's not get into a cliché war. You know how I feel about clichés."

"This from the cliché King and Master."

Back in the study, Daniel began walking around the room again, opening cupboards and drawers, checking out his desk, and generally basking in the wonderful space. Jack just sat on one of the comfy counter chairs that were at the work table and watched his mate happily inspect his domain. After a few minutes, however, Jack couldn't hold back any longer and interrupted him.

"So…Daniel?"

"Jack?" the linguist glanced up from looking inside the mini-fridge that was inconspicuously camouflaged to look like the other cupboards around the room, sitting under a small counter area where a coffee pot and a small sink were situated.

The General fidgeted. "Does this mean you're keeping me? I mean…do I get to stay, or…?" he couldn't look at Daniel for some reason and he hated that he sounded so completely insecure and needy. But this was important. Probably the most important thing in his life.

Sobering again, Daniel closed the fridge and went over to the worktable, taking the other chair and sitting across from Jack so they were face-to-face. He reached across the surface and held out his hand. Jack gave him his own and Daniel squeezed, holding on comfortingly.

"Try and get rid of me." Daniel responded, smiling at Jack. "I'll make you a deal, O'Neill; if you'll keep me, I'll keep you."

Sighing in relief, Jack gave him a wry smile. "Deal, Jackson."

"Good. I'm not sure how we'll work out all the logistics, but I think we're both pretty good at organizing and…stuff. We should be able to come up with _something_ we can both live with…" he stopped when he noticed Jack's confused expression. "What?"

"What? I have no idea what you're talking about, Danny."

"Uh, hello? _General_ O'Neill…Head of Homeworld Security. Living and working in Washington D.C." Daniel looked at Jack over the top of his glasses, eyebrows furrowed. "Me, living here, clear across country, FYI – and often not working on _this_ planet."

"Okay, okay." Jack made a face and leaned on the worktable's counter on his forearms. "Thank you for the verbose clarity. And…I guess this means it's a good time to make a huge confession."

Daniel's wary expression was almost comical – if the seriousness of the topic hadn't been so real. He almost pulled his hand back but Jack turned his hand so that their fingers twined together and curled into a loose fist, so he let the older man keep it. "Ja-ack… What'd you do now?"

Jack shot him a disgruntled glare and sniffed. "Well, you should know by now that if I would go through all this," he waved his hand at the room then pointed at Daniel, "and all of it for you, then I wouldn't leave out the all-important part – staying together."

The linguist gave in gracefully. "Fine. My bad. What'd you do?"

Eyeing the man he loved, Jack proceeded to tell Daniel his little game of 'shuffle the Generals.' "Hank Landry would take over at Homeworld Security and I'll come back to run the SGC. Oh, and you'd be promoted, and you'd run the SGC with me – which would do a great deal to make the IOA happy because then the place would be run by both the military and a civilian, not to mention that we would then have the leverage to boot Woolsey out of his 'watchdog' position." Jack beamed at a stunned Daniel. "And that's about it! Officially. Unofficially, you and I are together and stuck like the proverbial white on rice."

The younger man's eyes were huge behind his glasses. "Me?" he squeaked, his head shaking in disbelief. "Run the SGC? Promoted? Jack, I…"

Frowning, Jack squeezed his fingers. "Daniel? What's wrong? In all honesty, you would not be doing all that much differently than you already are. You're already in charge of the civilians on base anyway, and being on SG1, as well as being _the_ senior personnel of the SGC means you already have a major say in the decision making around here." His frown eased as he realized what was actually bothering the linguist, and Jack slipped off his seat to move around to Daniel's side of the worktable. Dropping his hands down heavily on Daniel's shoulders, Jack looked him squarely in the eyes, and raised an eyebrow. "Hey. You _know_ you are the most qualified person on the planet to run the place. The very _best_ person, Dr. Jackson. Your voice has been the voice of reason in the chaos, our conscience, our guiding light. Your intelligence and compassion have opened the universe to us, and saved us all more times than are easily enumerated. You have given more of yourself than any one person should _ever_ have to give to the programme…to those of us who are privileged enough to work with you. And I believe I'm repeating myself, but whatever. I'll say it as many times as needs saying.

"We obviously haven't expressed our appreciation very well – if at all – judging by the fact that you still have the lowest confidence in yourself I have ever seen You know everything that you've seen and done and experienced, but you still don't get the full extent of the impact you've had." Jack smiled gently and brushed the back of his fingers across Daniel's cheek affectionately. "You, Daniel, _are_ the programme. I've known that since the very beginning – even if I didn't want to acknowledge it sometimes, even if I was less than supportive or encouraging on occasion; I _knew_ it."

Daniel swallowed a few times to get the lumps out of his throat. He stared up at Jack, completely dumbfounded. He realized Jack was right about how he felt – under-appreciated and thus under-qualified. Not to mention wondering why he'd been kept around so long when, more often than not, it felt like no one was ever really listening to him. Yet here was Jack, telling him that wasn't true and that they had – in fact – been listening very closely all along. He remembered Jack talking about his 'cosmic importance' at the cabin, but…

Leave it to Jack O'Neill to totally throw everything in his life into chaos and completely knock him off track this way.

As the minutes ticked away in silence, Jack leaned a hip against the counter and folded his arms across his chest, watching the emotions chase each other wildly across Daniel's face, and he could almost _see_ the synapses firing at the speed of light in Daniel's brain as he tried to process everything. Figuring that maybe he needed a moment, Jack moved past the linguist toward the double doors, dropping a hand on his shoulder as he passed by.

"I'll give you a few minutes, Danny. I'll just run out to the car for a second and grab some stuff, and when I get back, I'll try and explain my plans a little more clearly." He heard a noise that told him Daniel had heard but couldn't quite respond coherently just yet – too immersed in Daniel-land trying to understand everything that had happened to him so rapidly that day. Jack squeezed his shoulder again and left him to it.

He'd just stepped out the front door when his cell went off. Jack pulled it out and answered brusquely without looking at the caller ID.

"O'Neill, and this better be important!"

"Sir, it's Carter." Sam's voice responded, sounding a bit sheepish, a bit eager, and not really very apologetic. "I'm sorry if I interrupted anything…"

Jack sighed and made his way to the car, pushing the button on the remote-start to pop the trunk open. "Hey, Carter, it's fine. I didn't look at the caller ID before I answered. If you had been Washington I'd have chewed you out, though."

She laughed. "Lucky me. I – _we_, actually – were wondering if you and Daniel had gotten back yet, sir, and whether you'd taken him to the house?"

A faint smile lightened Jack's face. "Yes and yes. We're here now." He paused, grabbing the file folder from his bag (loosely termed 'suitcase') from the open trunk of the car. "And who might we be?" He also grabbed Daniel's cell, slipping it into his pocket.

"Well, myself and Cassie, and Teal'c, Cameron, and Vala." Carter admitted sheepishly. "We're all excited, sir, to know how everything is going, so SG1 gathered here at my place. Oh! And Ferretti asked me to pass along a request to you. He wants to know how it goes, too, so call him."

Rolling his eyes and smiling anyway, Jack dug around in his bag for one last thing. It was his own fault for spilling the beans to so many people. Of course they would all want to know the outcome. "I see. Look, Carter, I can't really tell you anything just yet. I'm actually outside at the car grabbing some stuff, to give Daniel a few minutes to himself." He pulled out the Asgard anti-surveillance 'egg' from Thor triumphantly, slipping it into his other pocket. "I'm afraid…I may have completely overwhelmed him with everything I told him and with the house and all…"

Carter made sympathetic noises as Jack closed the trunk and slowly made his way back to the house. "I don't blame him, sir. But I think he can handle it." There was a deeply affectionate note in her voice. "He's nothing if not resilient, our Daniel. Not to mention brilliant. Once he wraps his head around it all, it'll be fine."

"I really hope so, Carter."

"Oh! We left a little something for Daniel in the mailbox, sir." Carter suddenly exclaimed. Jack paused at the door and flipped open the mailbox attached to the wall right next to the doorbell. "Could you give them to him for us?"

"What's with the letters?" Jack asked curiously, taking out a stack of envelopes all addressed to Daniel.

"It was Cassie's idea. She suggested we each write Daniel a little letter to tell him how happy we are for him, our support, all that…and we leave them in the mailbox because then he'd really feel at home." Sam explained. "She said a house isn't home until you start receiving personal mail there."

Jack grinned. That sounded like something Cassie would do and say, alright. "I'll definitely pass these along, Carter. I'm gonna go now. I promise one of us will call soon, so keep the kids in line a while longer, okay?"

"Yes, sir! Good luck, General."

She hung up and Jack could have sworn she'd saluted him despite that she wasn't even in his presence. Shaking his head, Jack closed his cell and went back to the study.

Daniel wasn't there, however. Leaving the letters and the file on the worktable, Jack wandered to the open patio door and stepped out to join his mate on the new deck.

"Hey." he drawled, surveying the backyard with a note of pride.

"Hey." Daniel sighed deeply, looking upward at the very blue sky for a moment. "Took you a while. Couldn't find what you wanted?"

"Oh no. I found it. Missed me, did you?" Jack grinned and winked at Daniel with a side-glance. The younger man snorted, but his hand did reach out blindly and clasp Jack's. Pleased, Jack turned toward him. "You okay, Danny?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah, I'm fine. Sorry, Jack, for zoning out like I did."

"Nah. I understand that everything's been a real bitch to wrap your head around. And…I suppose I owe you some more thorough explanations, too."

"No. I think I get what you're trying to tell me, here, Jack. Though I _would_ like to hear how you managed to convince the necessary people that I should be running the SGC…" Daniel turned and led the other man back indoors.

Blushing, Jack followed and retook his seat across from Daniel when the linguist sat down at the worktable. "It's…a tale worth telling, I suppose."

"What's all this?" Daniel indicated the stack of letters and the file. "This is what you went to get from the car?"

"The file is. And your cell phone." Jack took out the phone and held it out to him. "The letters were Cassie's idea, apparently." He explained what Carter had said, and Daniel smiled softly, gathering the envelopes into a neat stack, setting them to the side.

"That's really sweet of her. I'll read them later."

"It's just like her to come up with an idea like that." Jack agreed. "The file is all the legal stuff my lawyer and I got ready to transfer the property to you." Jack picked up the file, staring down at it rather than the archaeologist out of sheer anxiousness.

"Jack…I want you to listen to me a minute without interrupting, okay?" Daniel reached out and pushed the file in Jack's hands back down to the counter, forcing Jack's attention back to himself. Looking worried and a little fearful, Jack nodded warily. Daniel nodded back and pulled his hand away, folding both in front of himself solemnly. "Thanks."

"I'll try."

"First, I love you." He smiled when Jack's eyes snapped up to meet his, the whiskey colour of them cloudy with emotion. "You called me your soulmate earlier, and I know you would never use that term lightly, not unless you really, truly believed it and felt that way. I was thinking about it while you were outside, and I've come to the conclusion that you're completely right, Jack." Daniel blinked back the burn of moisture in his eyes. "I am the mate of your soul…just as you are mine. I never, _ever_ believed I would ever find someone that would be that important to me, someone who makes me feel as much and as deeply as you do. I loved Sha're – you know that better than anyone – but ours was a quiet love. Gentle and comfortable, despite how fiery her personality often coloured things between us. You and I…are anything _but_ quiet or gentle, and very rarely comfortable."

Jack smiled crookedly, nodding in agreement instead of speaking. There was a sheen to his eyes that were unmistakably moist as he listened. Daniel continued, tapping a finger on the file folder.

"Second, you didn't have to do all this to prove how you felt. Because I think I know you, Jack, well enough to believe you when you say the things you have in the last week – hell, the last few hours!" Daniel flushed and hung his head a little sheepishly. "I know I'm a little blind and lacking self-knowledge when it comes to other people's feelings for me, but…even I understand what you've said and what _wasn't_ said by doing all this scheming, for me.

"So here's the deal, O'Neill: I'm not going to accept ownership of the house. But I will accept ownership of _you_." Daniel met Jack's misty gaze solidly and gave him a tremulous smile. "And I'll be happy to turn this house into _our_ home, because in my heart of hearts…you _are_ my home, Jack. You've meant home to me ever since you took me in when you brought me back from Abydos."

Jack rubbed his free hand over his face, wiping away the tears that slipped out, and spread his hand over the file. "Compromise? I'll get the lawyer to put everything in both our names?"

Smiling brilliantly, Daniel nodded. "Okay."

"Sweet! I'll do that as soon as possible." Jack shoved the file aside. "I guess we should start furniture shopping, too. There's a few key pieces missing around here."

Daniel looked thoughtful. "Yeah, I got rid of most of the furniture I owned when I gave up my apartment, so…" he shrugged. "I had no use for it, and without it I could rent a smaller storage unit, which cost me less…"

"Hey! It's fine, Danny! We get to have lots of fun arguing over sofas and dining sets and lamps…" Jack grinned. "And we get to pick out all new stuff, if we want."

"It'll be an experience, all right." Daniel rolled his eyes. "We'll probably have to do some grocery shopping, as I'm assuming we have nothing edible at all."

"Yep. But not for a few days, since we won't move in until we at least have a bed." Jack pointed out.

"Right." Daniel stood up and gathered up the letters. "There's still plenty of daylight left, Jack, so why don't we hit a few stores? And grab lunch. I'm starving."

The older man slid off his seat and followed Daniel out of the study and down the hall to the front door. "Lunch is an excellent idea. Let's pick up something and find a nice park somewhere to eat."

"Sounds like a plan."

* * *

Forty minutes later, they sat together at a picnic table under a giant tree laden with autumn foliage in a small park they'd found. Jack had a newspaper, and was reading through it while he ate his monstrously large sandwich from the little deli/café they'd chosen for lunch.

Daniel was eating his own giant sandwich, and rather than reading a newspaper he was opening the stack of letters his friends had left for him.

He started with Cassie's letter.

"_Dear Uncle Daniel_," she wrote, "_the letters were my idea because when Uncle Jack mentioned how he wanted to give you a home, I wanted to help make it feel more like home. And getting mail from friends and family makes me feel like I'm at home, so… Anyway, I also wanted to let you know how much I love you, and I've really missed you these months I've been away at university. And I also want you to know I'm glad Uncle Jack finally realized he had to do something about his feelings for you. I hope the two of you can work everything out because I truly believe you were meant for each other._

"_I guess I've been in a unique position to watch all of you and hear not only what you, Uncle Jack, Sam, Teal'c, and Uncle George have said over the years, but also what Mom always did. It will probably surprise you to know that she loved you, Uncle Daniel. Really and truly and deeply. But she also always knew and said that your heart belonged to Uncle Jack, whether or not either of you knew it or acknowledged it. She hoped that someday she'd get to see you two finally quit dancing around each other and get together – and I believe that where she is now, Mom is doing the happy dance of all happy dances because I think she's always watching over us._

"_I've known for a long time how you and Uncle Jack felt. You may not remember, but you dropped by very briefly a few hours after your Ascension. You spoke to me a little, because you weren't supposed to even be here, you said, and you asked me to take care of Uncle Jack, and the others, for you. I tried my best, and I think I managed to keep Uncle Jack from slipping away from us, even though he probably doesn't really remember my even being there._

"_So I guess all that's left for me to say is that I am deliriously happy for you, Uncle Daniel. Both of you. And I love you guys a lot. Welcome home, Uncle Daniel! Love always, Cassie._"

Daniel carefully folded the letter and slipped it back into its envelope, setting it to one side as he fought down the wealth of emotion reading it had evoked. He caught Jack eyeing him covertly over the newspaper and shrugged.

"You okay?" Jack asked, glancing at the letter.

"Fine. Just, you know…sentimental. Everything's made me turn into this huge sap lately." Daniel picked up his extra-large coffee and drank deeply before opening another letter – this time from Cameron. Jack rustled his paper and went back to reading, content that his partner wasn't upset or something. "You can read it if you want." Daniel offered, pointing at Cassie's.

Jack was tempted, but he shook his head with a slight smile. "Nope. Those were written for you, Daniel. But thanks."

Shrugging, Daniel unfolded Cam's letter.

"_Jackson,_" the linguist suppressed a sigh. He'd never convince Mitchell to actually use his _name_ like the rest of the team. "_So Cassie Fraiser had this idea that we should all write letters to you as a 'welcome home' present. Unfortunately for you, I absolutely suck at this form of communication. Text messages, though… Whoa man! I rock that. But since the young lady won't let me do __**that**__, I'll give this my best shot._

"_I know you remember when I first came to the SGC – to SG1 – and the expectations I had. I didn't want to lead the team, I just wanted to serve with you, Sam, and Teal'c under General O'Neill. I also wanted to learn from all of you. Each of the members of SG1 have many, many things to teach but I admit I was especially excited to learn from you. Sure, Teal'c and General O'Neill had plenty of combat experience and other such military stuff that I wanted to benefit from, as did Sam – plus she could teach me all kinds of technical stuff about alien technology and that sort of thing. And although all that would be – __**is**__ – invaluable to me as an officer serving in the programme, what you have to teach is invaluable not only to me but to every human being everywhere. Invaluable to us all __**as**__ humans. I wanted to learn more about myself as a human among who knows how many peoples in the universe, and about myself as a person. As a military officer, I learned some things about myself but in truth the military is not about the individual. You can advance through the ranks, win all kinds of pretty, shiny medals and colourful ribbons…but to learn about yourself and about the kind of person you are is not something that can be done (at least not completely) on a battlefield._

"_So I hoped to have the chance to work with you, Dr. Jackson: civilian, archaeologist, anthropologist, and linguist. Just from reading through hundreds – maybe a thousand – mission reports I knew that my best chance for learning was with you, a man who has perhaps the greatest wealth of knowledge about people that any one person could have. You've not only studied every aspect of (how many?) most human cultures here on good old terra firma, but all over the universe; on top of that you've also had experiences beyond what __**any**__one else has ever had. You, Jackson, have the most to give, the most to teach._

"_I'm happy to say that I __**have**__ learned. Oh, there's always more to learn, more ways to improve, but I have learned from you more than I ever could have dreamed. I came to the SGC a bit over-eager for adventure and with a huge case of hero-worship. I still love the adventure, and SG1 will always be my own personal heroes, but I've had the opportunity to get to know all of you as people and that means even more to me. Don't get me wrong! We all do what we do because it's our jobs, because someone's gotta save the world and we all happen to be qualified – and crazy enough – to do it. It's not for the pay-cheque, it's not for the glory, it's because we can and it needs to be done. For all the not-so-good parts of this gig, I wouldn't trade it for anything. It's been my greatest honour and pleasure to have met you and served with you, Jackson. And I know we'll somehow defeat this great cosmic threat we face and keep going – because the alternative isn't an option for me, or any one of us, right?_

"_Another thing I've learned working with you has been to redefine my concept of 'home.' Before I joined up with the programme and started out flying X302s, when I was on a tour of duty overseas someplace, 'going home' meant the USA. It meant my parents' ranch, and my mom and dad. It's what I fought for as a soldier, what I wanted to protect. Now…now it's all that __**and**__ the whole damned planet. The ranch and my parents are still significant reasons for my willingness to fight, but every time we step through the Gate or ship out on Odyssey, and I start to want to come home during missions (or after), it's enough to make it back to Earth. Even the ugly concrete walls of the SGC are more home to me than any place else. When Cassie brought up the idea for these letters from us, and Sam explained to Vala and I that you'd never truly had a home – with the exception of Abydos – it got me thinking. I'd read your personnel file, of course, but it never really occurred to me until then. So what did I think, right? Well, I asked myself, 'What __**is**__ home, Cameron? What makes a place mean home over any other?'_

"_To me, home is not just the place where you live – maybe it's sometimes not where you live at all. It's where you're safe, a haven from the outside world (or another world) and all the stuff that goes on in life around us. It's where you're completely free to be yourself without apology or excuse, like…a place of total freedom. It's where you feel a sense of belonging, a sense of purpose. It's where your friends and family welcome you. It's where you are loved – and where you love someone in return._

"_When I thought all this, I realized Sam was wrong. You have had a home, it's just that home has shifted far too often for you. You had your parents – albeit not nearly long enough. For a time, you had a home among your academic peers, and just because they were all too short-sighted and deaf to actually pay attention to you and listen to what you were trying to say was not your fault. It's been their loss and our gain. You had Abydos – actually, I suspect you will always have Abydos – once again, not for long enough._

"_But, Jackson…__**Daniel**__, I guess what I'm trying to say is that home for you has never been about a building. It's been about people. And when General – then Colonel – O'Neill brought you back from Abydos, I suspect you found a new place to call home. And no, I'm not talking about the SGC._

"_I suppose it's more accurate to say you haven't had a more or less permanent place of residence. But! I also suppose that's no longer the case. You have someone who has and will continue to provide everything I said before. I don't know that someone very well personally, unfortunately, but from what little I've been able to glean from those in the know, I can reasonably say you've found the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Oh god. No pun intended, absolutely not! Honest!_

"_You have my full support and friendship. Another lesson for Cameron: I just want my friends to find whatever happiness they can, doing what we do and knowing what we know. No one deserves that more than you._

"_Wow, not only have I babbled on and on, I was all philosophical and sappy. Let's just keep this between us, okay? I do have an image – or at least a reputation – to maintain. Besides which, I couldn't take the inevitable blackmail a certain feisty ex-thief would be certain to try on me if she found out._

"_I guess there's just one last thing I could possibly say: Welcome home!_

"_With honour and friendship, Cam._"

Laughing softly because of Mitchell's concerns about Vala and possible blackmail, and very touched by everything the man had said, Daniel smiled and set the letter next to Cassie's. He remembered the hero-worship the young officer had suffered when he arrived at the SGC, and how it was a little embarrassing to realize he was on object of that hero-worship – not something that Daniel ever, _ever_ aspired to. He'd never believe he'd done anything to warrant that kind of sentiment. His reward was if Earth survived another day and humanity was able to continue – however blindly and oblivious – down the path toward whatever future awaited; be it Ascension, or simply becoming the Fifth Race that the Asgard had such high hopes for, it was theirs to discover.

Cameron had learned very quickly that adventure wasn't exactly what he was going to get at the SGC or SG1. A part of it all, yes, but it was almost completely overshadowed by the enormous responsibilities, the hardships, and the very mortal risks they took every single day. And even if they hadn't had Cam's own heroic performance during that dog-fight in Antarctica, they soon had proof that he belonged with SG1, at the SGC, and fighting alongside his team for all the right reasons. His integrity was without question.

Daniel was humbled that such a good man – a good person – believed that he had something worth teaching, and that Cam was willing to learn. It was rare that Daniel had someone who stopped to _listen_ to him whenever he had something to say (although admittedly he found that more and more people were actually paying attention to him). He especially found it rare among military personnel.

He polished off the first half of his giant sandwich before picking up the next letter, this time from Teal'c. Glancing at Jack, who had already finished eating and separated the page with the crossword puzzle from the rest of the paper, Daniel opened up the envelope and unfolded the letter. He had to smile because the letter was written entirely in very precise, neat lettering.

"_Daniel Jackson,_

"_I do not know if you remember the words I once spoke to you as you lay in the infirmary bed before me, bandaged from nearly head to toe as you slowly succumbed to the effects of your radiation poisoning. In fact, I am unsure whether or not you were indeed conscious when I spoke, though I felt compelled to say things as if you were. I expressed my belief that your passing would rob us – me – of not only a very great and true friend, but of a truly wise man, and one of the greatest warriors I have ever had the honour of knowing. I know you have never considered yourself a warrior – at least not as you would most likely label myself or O'Neill as such – but I most certainly do. A warrior need not fight only with weapons and technology. You are a warrior of words, of wisdom and diplomacy. You are a warrior of mind, heart, and spirit._

"_I have learned a great deal from you over the years, my friend. Not only have I benefited from your wealth of knowledge, but also from your wisdom in all things. Because of this, I have begun to view the galaxy (indeed, the universe) with new eyes, and because of you some of my most fervent desires have come to pass. My people are free of the Goa'uld, just as I believe we will __**all**__ be free of the Ori one day. I truly believe that you will be the one to make it so._

"_My friend, our paths have crossed many times since our meeting over a decade ago. While our footsteps often ran alongside one another for the majority of these years, there have been times where, at their crossing, I have failed you. You would argue this fact, I am certain, but it is a truth nonetheless. In the case of your late wife, Sha're, I cannot claim that I would be so forgiving of the man who killed my wife. You understood why I did it, and you forgave me accordingly. I am more grateful than I can ever express to you for such magnanimity, and very humbled by your graciousness of character._

"_While I have said all these things – emotions that I have often wished to express but have never found the appropriate time or manner to do so – I have not spoken of the true purpose of this letter Cassandra Fraiser has requested of all of us. That being O'Neill's previous home which he has renovated and had SG1 prepare for you._

"_On this subject, I wish to offer my most sincerest, heartfelt congratulations. I have seen the deep affection shared between yourself and O'Neill, and I am quite aware that such feelings went further than a simple (though strong) friendship. I watched you both avoid your emotions strenuously for so long; I had begun to despair that I would also witness the greatest of tragedies: a true and profound love unexpressed, denied, and subsequently lost. I witnessed O'Neill's frustration, his exceeding loneliness, and self-delusions in regards to Samantha Carter. I saw you withdraw; I saw __**your**__ loneliness, and the resignation of your bright spirit to a fate you could not fight. Yet here again, I feel I failed you most grievously. Although I did try to be available to you whenever you needed someone with whom you were comfortable speaking about personal matters, I failed to realize that this was one subject you would not speak of with __**anyone**__, as you wrongly believe that we – your family and friends – do not wish to hear about your problems and that you are not important enough in our lives to burden us with what issues you deem insignificant to us. Daniel Jackson, you could not be more wrong. I think you would be quite shocked at the number of people – from O'Neill and SG1 – to all manner of your colleagues at the SGC – who think you are the most important person there is, and who would willingly do anything for you, unasked, if one believed there was any action to be taken to be of assistance._

"_I should have voiced my observations to both you and O'Neill, but I kept my silence out of respect for and in adherence to the Tau'ri military's obscure dictum of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell', as well as out of continued hope that you would find each other on your own. Perhaps if I had said something to either or both of you, your lives might have come together sooner._

"_However, I am hoping – now – that such an error on my part is completely irrelevant and you have seen O'Neill's offer for what it truly is. He loves you very much, my friend, as I know you love him in return. Should you accept him, know that I am exceptionally pleased and delighted for you both. It is a joyous, wondrous thing to find the mate of one's soul, and I wish you great happiness and long lives together._

"_To end this letter, I will add one last thing. I gave up my home, my wife, my son, and everything I had known before we met when O'Neill, yourself, and Samantha Carter came to Chulak and showed me another way to accomplish my dreams for a free Jaffa nation. I confess that at first I was sceptical of the wisdom of my decision, and often second-guessed myself. And I admit that for many years I became increasingly despairing of actually succeeding in my quest, despite all the wonders I saw and experiences I gained in my travels with SG1. Yet I did not, for even one moment, regret my decision for I soon gained a new home here on Earth, with these strange Tau'ri humans and their strange customs. And I have many thanks to give you for always being patient with my many questions and occasional lack of understanding, for always welcoming me and helping me to create a place amongst you that I can truly refer to as 'home.' It is my fervent wish that you and O'Neill proceed to do the same and forge a home for yourselves. There is no being who deserves such peace and a place of tranquility more than you, Daniel Jackson._

"_Congratulations once more, my dearest friend, and best of wishes and luck to you for all future endeavours. Remain true, wise, and strong, and you shall succeed in all you do. Know that you may always count on my assistance and friendship._

"_Your friend and brother, Master Teal'c of the Tau'ri._"

The letter fell from Daniel's hands unnoticed. He was too busy trying to process all the amazing, stunning revelations in Teal'c's letter. Not only was the gentle Jaffa totally alright with his relationship with Jack, but he'd known all along how not only Daniel felt, but Jack also!

Daniel blew out a stunned breath, putting the letter aside. He decided he would talk to Teal'c one day soon about these feelings of failure, too.

Jack raised an eyebrow at his linguist's dazed expression and the slight pinkness to his cheeks. "Danny? Something wrong?"

Crystalline blue eyes swept downward from the sky and found Jack's soft brown eyes studying him curiously. "Oh…not really. I just feel quite spanked, though. Thanks."

"What?" Jack let out a laugh at the expression, glancing at the last letter Daniel read.

"Teal'c scolded me in his direct, Jaffa way, for not believing enough that all of you believe in me."

Jack chuckled, smirking knowingly. "I told ya. Maybe now you'll start believing it?"

Daniel huffed and picked up the next-to-last of the letters, this one from Sam. "Yeah, yeah. Finish your crossword, Jack." He pulled the surprisingly short letter from its envelope and began to read somewhat anxiously.

"_Daniel,_

"_Cassie's idea for these letters was a really good one, one that I'm happy to comply with. But it seems that I just have __**so much**__ that I want to say, things I want you to know, that I can't seem to find the words now or the best way to say what I want and put it on paper. I've never been good at telling the people who mean the most to me that they __**are**__ that important. This letter may turn out to be a little abrupt, maybe even emotionless because of that, and I hope you'll bear with me and remember I don't mean it to come out that way._

"_I guess I'll start by putting your fears to rest, and letting you know that I'm okay with it. 100%, Daniel. The General and I worked out a lot of things, and I think – somewhere in the back of my mind – I've always known the two of you were meant to be. Whereas General O'Neill…__**Jack**__ and I were not. I dreamed foolishly and in the wrong direction. Don't get me wrong, I love the man, but not of the variety that would see me married to him._

"_And I don't care how many of those alternate realities out there have us in that sort of relationship! In this one, it never would happen, and it never will._

"_I hope you can forgive me for being an idiot, for being blind and ignorant to your feelings, and for very nearly wrecking our friendship. I hope you can forgive the General, too. I wouldn't lose __**us**__ if I could help it, because you mean the world to me, Daniel. You're my little brother, my best friend and guiding light, and I love you. So very much._

"_There's…a lot more to say, a lot more we need to talk about, so when you get settled in and have a few moments to spare, I hope you and I can share a few bottles of wine and get down to the dirty truths one night, and emerge the next morning clean._

"_With that, I'll just wish you all the best with Jack, and pass along my congratulations. May you finally find the home you've looked for and which you deserve so richly._

"_All my love, Sam._"

Daniel sighed in relief and put her letter on the pile, smiling to himself. Maybe they did have a lot to talk about, and maybe they had to really work on their fragmented friendship again to rebuild it, but he could sense from Sam's words that there was a positive hope for them. He was glad. He wanted his 'big sister' back.

The last letter was from Vala, and this was one letter Daniel had no idea what to expect from it. Tentatively opening it, Daniel steeled himself.

"_My Daniel,_" the archaeologist rolled his eyes, "_I have been told to write you a letter to express my congratulations on your good fortune and blah, blah, blah. I'm not sure I understand why this is necessary when I can just tell you so when next I see you, but the others are being rather insistent, so here I go._

"_First off, I must say you're indeed fortunate to be surrounded by so many people who seem to care for you so much it's very nearly nauseating. Then again, I suppose the truth is that I am one of them, so I can't really complain. You've changed my life, Daniel, changed me…simply by existing. I know I would not be here today if not for you, and I hate to think what my life would be like if I'd never met you – even if I lost that rather lucrative deal of naqhadah for your ship, but I digress… You've given me a place to belong, you've given your support and confidence and trust, and you've given me your friendship. I doubt I can ever repay you for all of that, but I can only hope that my efforts to be worthy will never let you down. Now all you have left to give me would be that rather sexy, delectable body of yours, and I bet I'd be one very ecstatic woman."_

Daniel flushed and wondered if she would ever take 'no' for an answer.

"_Actually, I don't believe I will ever have that opportunity. You know, if you'd ever just __**told**__ me that you had that rather fine male specimen in your bed I wouldn't have bothered you quite so much about having sex with me. However, if he was willing to share…_"

Daniel managed a strangled noise, unable to decide if he should laugh or get jealously possessive.

"_Anyway, you are – again – very fortunate to have Jack O'Neill as your lover. He seems like a reliable man, a rare breed, and if his looks are anything to go by he's probably a real tiger in bed. Loyal, too, and very shrewd. I've never known a man who was willing to go through all the trouble of buying their lover (meaning me, of course) a house and redecorating it to suit their lover's (mine!) tastes. Jack seems to be worth the trouble of keeping around, Daniel, so don't you lose him!_

"_As I really don't know what else I'm supposed to say here, I'll just wish you congratulations once more and shut up, shall I?_

"_Your beloved Vala._"

Groaning, Daniel dropped his head onto his arms on the surface of the table. Jack looked up at the thump, which broke his concentration, and eyed the letter in Daniel's hand. "Who was that one from?"

"Vala." Came the somewhat muffled reply.

Grinning, Jack reached out to pat his mate on the shoulder. "That bad, huh?"

Daniel didn't answer except to wave the letter above his head at Jack without even raising his head from his arm. "Go ahead and read it." The muffled permission added when Jack didn't immediately grab hold of the letter.

Jack took it, scanned it quickly, and made a sound that came out somewhere between a swallowed back laugh and an exasperated snort. Daniel looked up and caught the faint blush on Jack's face – who was also looking mighty smug.

"Don't even, Jack."

"What?"

"You're going to say something macho, and I don't want to hear it."

"No, I'm not."

"You were."

"Not!"

"Were!"

"Not! Look, let's not get into that right now." Jack waved the usual childish tennis match of an argument away. He handed the letter back to Daniel and tucked away his crossword puzzle to finish later. "For now…we have shopping to do."

Daniel nodded, cleaning up after himself. On the walk back to the car, Daniel brought up his vague idea to take Cassie out for supper and a movie.

"I was thinking," he said as he and Jack got into the car, "that dinner and a movie were in order, but do you think she'd want to come shopping with us?" He glanced at Jack as the General started up the vehicle. "Would you mind if she did?"

"Of course I don't mind. We don't get to see our little girl often enough any more." Jack agreed wistfully. "Call her. We'll swing by Carter's and pick her up."

Daniel took out his cell and dialled Sam.

* * *

**Chapter II**

Cassandra Fraiser was thrilled to go along with her uncles on their shopping excursion. In fact, so was the rest of SG1. The team had all still been at Sam's house when Daniel called to invite Cassie, and they all decided that Daniel and Jack absolutely _had_ to have their advice and help choosing items of furniture. So while Cassie rode with Jack and Daniel in their car from store to store, Mitchell, Teal'c and Vala rode with Sam in hers. It was a bit of a circus, with all of them trooping into each store all at once and quite often arguing about each other's décor choices, but really it turned out to be a whole lot of fun.

And the actual decisions and choices were made by Jack and Daniel off to the side anyway.

The first day's shopping was fairly successful. They picked out a nice new dining room set of table and chairs and a sideboard. In another antique store (that Daniel had been unable to pass by without checking it out), they found a set of lamps for the living room and a matching set of side-tables and a coffee table. They picked out two comfy armchairs for the living room in another store, as well as the most comfortable sofa ever. As for the bedroom furniture…Jack pulled Daniel aside and pointed out that was one room they didn't need the others' "help" with. Daniel agreed, blushing a lot.

They decided they'd get to _that_ on Monday.

Thankfully, most of the businesses they'd bought things in offered delivery services – on weekdays. So, Monday they would get all their larger items of furniture. The lamps fit in the car trunk.

Shopped out, Jack invited the team back to the house for the evening – after he'd insisted on picking up fixings for a BBQ from a grocery store.

"It's been far too long since there's been an SG1 BBQ in this house!" he declared, depositing bags stuffed with food on the brand new island counter in the kitchen. "So it's high time we had another, right Daniel?"

"Here, here!" the linguist smiled his agreement.

There were smiles and agreement all around.

* * *

Everyone was outside on the deck, enjoying the mild weather, sunshine, and each other's company. Jack, as usual, was reigning as the Grill King over a smoking BBQ (he'd called Ferretti and asked to borrow Lou's when he invited their old friend to join them), while both Vala and Cameron hovered nearby getting lessons in the fine art of backyard grilling. Lou made appropriate comments and jokes. Sam and Teal'c remained off to the side, not saying a word, as they were far too used to these BBQs and the chaos that came with them.

Daniel had left everyone to go inside and set out dishes, utensils, and napkins, as well as find the salads and stuff Jack had wanted to go with the steaks and hot dogs he was currently charcoaling. He almost didn't notice that Cassie had followed him indoors.

"Can I help with anything, Uncle Daniel?" She asked, standing at the island across from Daniel. He smiled and gestured at the cupboards.

"Sure. Dig around for plates and things. I haven't had a chance to snoop around and find everything yet."

Cassie moved to do so and grinned at how happy her favourite person was. "So you like what Uncle Jack and Lou did to the place?"

"Very much. It was totally unnecessary, but I'm not complaining." Daniel winked at her and she laughed. Daniel bent and gave her a quick buss on the cheek. "And thank you, by the way, for your letter and for making the others write letters, too."

Her smile softened and she set a stack of plates on the counter. "You're welcome." Digging utensils out of a drawer, she laid them next to the plates. "Can I ask you something, Uncle Daniel?" she inquired hesitantly.

He leaned against the counter and folded his arms over his chest casually, giving her his full attention. Something in her tone told him it was a serious question.

"Of course. You can always ask me or any of the others anything, Cassie."

"How much of the past have you remembered? From your first Ascension, I mean."

A tiny furrow appeared at Daniel's brow. "I remember everything now, Cassie. I didn't for about that first year or so when I'd returned, but it all came back the second time around. The Others must not have felt I'd learned anything too threatening to their all-mighty Rules and sent me back with all my marbles, that time." He answered, unsure why she would want to know. "Why?"

"Even the year you were Ascended?" Cassie pressed, avoiding his inquiry for the moment.

"Well…maybe not _all_ of it. I remember the events, but I don't remember all that cosmic Ascended knowledge I gained while one of them." The frown deepened in bewilderment.

Cassie nodded. "Okay, I can understand that."

"What's up, sweetheart?" Daniel asked, concerned. "Is there something you think I'm not remembering?"

"Kind of. You see…I just wanted to know if you _do_ remember stopping by to visit Uncle Jack before you left permanently with Oma Desala, and if you remember what you said to me then."

Daniel tilted his head as a light bulb went off in his brain, regarding the young woman gravely. "Somewhat, I do. I remember sticking around a couple of extra days to make sure all of you would be okay. I remember Oma was very patient about it, since the idea was to let go of all one's past ties in order to move ahead on the Path." His eyes went a little distant as he dredged up what he could from his memories. "I remember that Sam was really upset for quite a while but I knew she'd be okay because Teal'c would make sure of it. Janet was…she felt guilty, as if she could have done something more even though she knew she'd done all she could and that I would never have blamed her. But…she was a doctor, and they hate to lose a patient, especially a good friend." He fell silent, the painful, ugly memories of the doctor's death rising up. Yes…he knew exactly how she must have felt.

Cassie, saddened by the reiteration of what her uncle seemed to be remembering, laid a hand on his arm. "I'm sorry, Uncle Daniel. I shouldn't have asked and brought it all up again."

"No, sweetheart. Not at all. It's okay to remember even the sad stuff." Daniel smiled and drew her into a hug. "And if we can't reminisce with our loved ones about it, then who can we?" He dropped a kiss to the top of her head.

"Yeah." She agreed, hugging him back tightly. "I just…I only asked because I always wondered why you asked _me_ to take care of everyone – why you nudged _me_ to be the one to go over to Uncle Jack's and give him a shoulder."

He had to think about that one a bit. He'd known how much he cared for Jack then, and he was probably the only living soul – Ascended or not – who knew Jack so well that he knew how Jack would grieve. And he hadn't wanted his best friend to revert to the Col. Jack O'Neill he'd first met on the original mission.

"The simple answer, Cass, is that there _was_ no one else. He couldn't be open with Sam for…all kinds of reasons other than the plain fact that he wouldn't allow himself to show his true emotions to her – or _anybody_, for that matter. He could have talked to Teal'c, but there's that whole macho warrior thing and Jack wouldn't let himself appear weak to the big guy, even though he knows better. General Hammond…maybe, but George was Jack's CO, and _someone_ had to hold the SGC together when no one else could. I couldn't ask George to take on more than that. And he was grieving, too, in his own way. Not Ferretti, for the same reasons as Teal'c. Actually, those reasons apply to everyone at the SGC that worked with us." Daniel paused, rifling mentally through the people close to SG1 who would have been possibilities. "Jack would _never_ have spoken to Mac-the-Quack or any other counsellor, psychologist, whatever. Jacob…was already off-world and unavailable, even if Jack would have talked to him – which he probably wouldn't because of Selmac and the fact that he was Sam's father."

"And Mom?" Cassie looked up at him. "She would have done anything for any of you, but you especially, Uncle Daniel."

"I know. But…Jack wouldn't talk to her either. He would thank her for her concern and he'd understand how genuine she would be, but he still wouldn't allow himself that luxury. They were friends, and there was plenty of respect between them, but…"

Cassie sighed and nodded. She knew Daniel was right about that. "Still…why me? I was still just a young kid."

"Age didn't have a thing to do with it." The linguist said, releasing her and looking outside the large kitchen windows at their family beyond. "You may have been young, but you are far older than your age, Cassandra. You're also much more intelligent, compassionate, and wise than most people your age." He watched Vala snatch Cam's ball cap off his head and run off with it, forcing the man into an exasperated game of keep-away as Mitchell gave chase. "And even some people far older than you." He added, amused. He turned back to her. "Besides being the only one left, you had the maturity to understand him and what he needed, and you – more than nearly everyone else – understood grief in ways no one else can. And you were a 'safe' person to be openly emotional with, Cassie. You were close to us, you grieved also, but he didn't have to hide how deeply it affected him with you."

She nodded slowly in comprehension, her eyes misting a little. "I see, now. Even though I don't think Uncle Jack even remembers that I was there, or knew it at the time…"

"Oh, I think he does. You know Jack…he's got a soft spot for kids, but you hold your own special place with him. Just as with all of us."

"I love you all, too, Uncle Daniel."

Daniel smiled, and looked around the kitchen. "Well, I guess all this stuff is ready, so shall we go see if Jack's done turning supper into charcoal?"

Giggling, Cassie smiled back and followed Daniel back outdoors.

* * *

The party broke up around 2130, and the oddly mismatched family went their separate ways. Cam took Teal'c and Vala back to the Mountain before heading to his apartment, and Cassie went home with Sam. Lou took his BBQ home with an invite to his old friends to stop by and meet his wife and daughter someday soon.

Jack and Daniel spent another forty-five minutes or so cleaning up the mess before they made their way back to base themselves.

"Ya know…I think we should put in a nice fire pit in the backyard." Jack mused aloud in the elevator ride down.

Shrugging, Daniel smothered a yawn. "If you want. You're the yard and garden expert and I plan on leaving all that to you. I was never very…diligent when it came to yard work."

Jack rolled his eyes, remembering the little house Daniel once owned and the jungle of weeds and overgrowth in his small, quaint backyard. "Hadn't noticed." He commented with dry sarcasm.

"Shut up, Jack. So I don't have a green thumb! I've never needed one." Daniel's eyebrows knit together in a cute scowl. Jack just chuckled and patted his partner on the shoulder, aware of the security cameras everywhere in the Mountain, including the elevator.

"Hey, you still don't. That's my department. Besides, I was planning on leaving the cleaning indoors all to you since I wouldn't know how to care for all your…old rocks and stuff, let alone not break something."

Daniel snorted, but agreed. "Very true. But! KP, we switch off the duties."

"Deal."

They shook on it before stepping off on Level 25, heading for their on-base quarters. Reaching Daniel's first, Jack rocked back and forth on his heels while his linguist unlocked his door and flipped on the light. "So, Danny?"

Leaning against the door frame with crossed arms, Daniel gave him a chastising stare. "No, Jack. Absolutely not." They'd had this conversation in the car, even though they both knew Jack was only half-serious about staying the night in Daniel's room. Too risky, too blatantly DADT. "You can wait an extra couple of days."

Jack sniffed with mock sadness. "Fine, fine. Any ideas about where to go finish shopping tomorrow?" he let the subject drop.

"I suppose. Ikea would be easiest and probably the most cost effective place to get the rest of the furniture." Daniel suggested. Jack nodded.

"Okay. Then we have got to hit Best Buy and get a flat screen TV. And a home entertainment system." The General looked like a kid at Christmas and his birthday all rolled into one.

Daniel rolled his eyes. "Okay. Anywhere else?"

"Home Depot." Jack rubbed his hands together gleefully. "I'll need some stuff for the fire pit, but there's also BBQs…"

"Of course." The archaeologist couldn't stop the yawn. "Sorry. I'm going to get some sleep now, Jack. You'd better do the same." He pointed down the hall, then waved vaguely. "Good night."

"Night, Danny! I'll wake you up in the morning."

"With coffee."

"Like I'd dare attempt it without the java."

"I've trained you well, O'Neill." The door closed in Jack's face – a face with a silly, sappy grin on it.

"You sure have, Spacemonkey." He agreed softly, absolutely content.

* * *

Sunday rolled by so fast it was almost like it never happened.

Jack woke Daniel up – as promised – with giant coffee mug full and steaming in hand – and they stopped by the commissary for a quick breakfast. They were joined by Vala and Teal'c, and by Col. Reynolds and SG3, who had just returned from a mission.

Before they went shopping, Jack stopped by the rental agency to switch the car for a truck, having realized that it was better suited for hauling all their purchases than the car was. Then they hit Ikea, and by the time they made it through that, it was already lunch time.

They ate at the Swedish restaurant in the Ikea then hauled their new furniture home to unload it. Then they hit the Best Buy – spending nearly three hours there because Jack couldn't make up his mind which TV he liked best, and then couldn't decide which theatre system would be best. Daniel didn't really care, so he spent most of his time in the CD section.

Since Best Buy offered same-day delivery, Jack and Daniel made a very quick stop at the Home Depot to get the supplies Jack wanted for the fire pit and a brand new BBQ grill. Then they went back to the house to unload it all and start putting furniture together – until they realized they had no tools.

A quick call to Sam brought about the entirety of SG1 descending on the house once again, much to Daniel's bemusement. Jack gave in when Teal'c proceeded to single-handedly start moving the large, heavy boxes containing their new bedroom furniture upstairs. Mitchell and Daniel hauled the mattress upstairs and Cassie, Vala, Sam, and Jack picked up all the smaller, lighter stuff and carried it all up, too.

While Jack, Daniel, and Teal'c put together the bedroom, Sam and Cassie moved some of the living room around to make room for the arrival of the new sofa and armchairs the next day. Vala and Cameron let in the delivery people when they arrived and assisted in directing them to move in the TV and all the rest. Then Sam and Mitchell handily set it all up.

Unsurprising, with all the extra help, Jack and Daniel soon had a house to live in. Okay, so maybe they still had to sit on the floors to eat or watch TV, but that was only for another day.

They ordered pizza for supper, and had a wonderful time eating like a bunch of teenagers on the living room floor.

"So guys," Sam glanced at the two men curiously. "When are you letting General Landry know what you've decided? Oh! And have you told General Hammond, yet?"

Jack flushed at the idea of telling his former CO (and now good friend) about his and Daniel's new relationship status. The man was practically Daniel's father for crying' out loud! George had certainly looked upon Daniel as such over the years. He glanced at his partner for his reaction and snickered at the deep red the poor linguist had turned. _At least I'm not the only one_, Jack thought, _to be embarrassed by the prospect_.

"I'm supposed to let Hank know tomorrow what the plan will be for certain. That doesn't mean, however, that I'm telling him _everything_," Jack stressed pointedly, "nor that any changes will happen immediately. These kinds of things rarely happen in the middle of a campaign, after all, and there are other considerations that have to be taken care of first anyway." Jack took a swig of his beer. "As for George…I guess I'll find some way to break the news to him, though I don't know how he'll take it." Visions of angry father-figures with shot-guns and a Texas accent that grew thicker with rage chased through his mind's eye and he shivered.

Daniel, mouth full of pizza to keep from having to comment, patted his partner on the leg sympathetically.

"Wait…what changes?" Cam asked, pausing in mid-sip of his own beer.

"Have you decided to return to us, O'Neill, and fight as SG1's leader once more?" Teal'c inquired, a raised eyebrow that translated to 'hopeful' shooting up.

Jack scratched his head. "Kind of. Didn't I explain all this to you guys already?"

"Jack…you've barely explained it to _me_." Daniel reminded him, rolling his eyes.

"Sorry, sir, but you didn't really say anything beyond having a plan and things about the house." Sam informed him.

"Oh. Well, it's like this…I had a nice long chat with President Hayes. I explained what I wanted, where I'd much rather be, and with whom…and then I explained my entire plan to him. He understood and agreed to the plan, providing the necessary parties involved all agreed to it – like Landry, and of course, Daniel."

The triple doctorate in the room caught the truly amazing part of that statement and squawked, "The _President_? You told the _**President**_?" after inelegantly spewing the mouthful of Guinness all over Jack in horrified shock.

"Uh…yeah." Jack blinked and took the napkins Cassie handed him to mop up the exclamation. "Don't worry, though, Danny. He's not going to issue a press release or anything. In fact he's offered his protection from any official reprisals."

Cam whistled loudly, impressed.

"Wow, sir." Sam looked quite impressed also. But she supposed if anyone had ever earned such protection it would be these two heroes.

Teal'c merely nodded his approval.

Still stunned and amazed, Daniel managed to speak without the squeaky catch in his voice. "Tell them the rest of it, Jack. They actually can probably help us out with a lot of things when the time comes."

So the General did. All of it. His people listened intently, without interrupting, and when he finally said, "So…yeah. I think that was it." And looked at Daniel questioningly, it was all the linguist could do not to simply throw himself at Jack and kiss him insensate right then and there.

"You really are a schemer, Jack O'Neill." Daniel shook his head in awe and wonder.

"I prefer 'strategist,' thank you very much."

"This is great! I finally get to serve with all of SG1!" Cam exclaimed, rubbing his hands together gleefully. It was his dream come true, after all. "The band'll be completely back together!"

"Indeed. I will be most glad to have you return to us, O'Neill." Teal'c added. The slight smile on his face was a sight to behold, so rare as it was.

Sam snickered at the starry-eyed gleam in Mitchell's eyes and patted him on the shoulder. "Cam, my friend, believe me when I say that the shine wears off after about two briefings with these two." She gestured at Daniel and Jack – who gave her identical twin expressions of "who, us?" before exchanging looks of their own.

"What are you trying to say, Carter?" Jack demanded, flicking his bottle cap at her.

"You and DanielJackson are quite vociferous in your…discussions at most briefings, O'Neill." Teal'c informed him.

Daniel smiled, polishing off his beer and setting the bottle aside. "Ah, the good old days. Although I suppose I'll have to work harder to convince you that I really do need more time to study the new stuff we find on missions and to explore new temples and such."

Jack rolled his eyes. "Whatever, Dr. Jackson. You'll have more than enough to deal with, too, ya know, what with _your_ promotion and all. Don't you forget about that."

Daniel made a face. "Oh yes, and _thanks_ _**so**_ much for that, Jack. I didn't need it." His voice dripped with sarcasm.

"All it really means is a change in title and official position in the command structure, Daniel, not in any duties or responsibilities."

"Besides," Sam added softly, "After all you've done for not only the SGC but the whole planet…it's a long time in coming. Atlantis should have been yours, Daniel."

Shamefaced, Daniel hung his head for a moment. "No, Sam. I'm an academic not on administrator or commander. Sure, I wanted to go to Atlantis – to see what we worked so hard to find, what we nearly lost Jack – and you – to find. To study the greatest achievement of the Ancients and maybe learn something that could end the fighting and give us peace. But I never wanted to be in charge. "No…Elizabeth was the right one for the job."

"I'd never have let you go anyway." Jack huffed, reaching out to take Daniel's hand. "not without the rest of us, anyway."

Daniel squeezed Jack's fingers.

"Well, we can all go check out that Atlantis places much more thoroughly after we've done something about the Ori." Vala announced, tossing her hair over her shoulder. "From what I saw on our brief stop there, it seemed like a good place to go treasure hunting."

"Hell, when we're done with the Ori, I say we go on vacation." Cam laughed, lounging back against the wall comfortably. "Anybody know any good planets with lots of beaches?"

"Sun, sand, and surf, huh?" Sam shook her head. "Not that I can remember, but I'm sure we can find something."

"Argos." Jack said.

"No. Kynthia." Daniel stamped on that idea immediately.

"He has point, sir. You escaped marriage by a hair." Sam reminded him.

"Oh. Right. Nearly forgot about that." Jack scratched at his temple and gave Daniel an apologetic look.

* * *

They spent a final night on-base, and early the next morning, Daniel went back to the house – taking several boxes of his things (like clothes and a few books) with him – so that he'd be around to accept the deliveries they were expecting of their furniture. Jack saw him off then made his way back down to Landry's office. He rapped lightly on the door and waited.

"Jack! Come in, come in." Hank waved the other man inside and gestured at the chairs in front of his desk. "Have a seat. I just have to sign off on these req-forms…"

"You know, that's the one downside to taking this job back." Jack mused, eyeing Hank's in-box and the stack of folders and papers waiting for the Commander's attention. "All that paperwork."

"It's less than you deal with now." Landry pointed out, closing the file and dropping it onto his out-box. "There. Done for now. So!" he folded his hands in front of himself on the desk and gazed expectantly at Jack. "I take it you're here to give me your good news?"

Jack nodded. "Yep. Have you had a chance to think about it, Hank? I mean, I don't want to…"

"I've thought. I talked to Carolyn and I even talked to the President." Landry interrupted, smiling a little. "My daughter was a little put out that you were going to ship me off to Washington now when we're starting to mend a few fences between us. But…she also thinks it's a good thing."

"I'm sorry, Hank." Jack grimaced, looking very apologetic. "I really am. I didn't realize it was going to be such an issue for you."

"Oh no." Landry huffed. "She's alright with it, and so am I – or I will be after you hear what Hayes and I discussed over the weekend."

Jack quirked an eyebrow. "Pray tell?"

"He's still on board with your Plan, Jack." Hank reassured, getting up and moving to close both doors to his office. "But it may not happen as soon as you'd originally hoped."

"What do you mean?"

Landry sat back down at his desk. "I had eight teams return home over the last two days, Jack. Five of those reported another ten planets falling to the Priors and the Ori. The other three teams were on covert ops, and reported sightings of either Ori ships or Priors coming by Stargate." He paused letting that sink in. "It's escalating. And there's not a thing we can do to stop it. Yet. I firmly believe we'll find a way _somehow_. So does President Hayes. On that we share agreement and hope.

"Another thing we agreed on was that changing up the administration and command of the SGC at this ever increasingly dire time in the campaign would be in no one's best interest. Hayes thinks – and I agreed – that we should continue on as we have been until this whole Ori situation is over. One way or another."

Jack frowned. He didn't like it, even if he reluctantly had to agree. "I don't like it, but that's purely as personal thing."

"I figured. And…I said as much to our Commander-In-Chief." Hank sighed, watching Jack fiddle with the little flag on his desk. "Lucky for you, he had a fairly good idea that should satisfy you in the interim."

Whiskey brown eyes flicked up with interest. "Oh?"

"Hayes said there was no rule that said your command had to be based in Washington. It is, after all, a super-secret posting that no one knows exists outside a few politicians. He said you could continue on just fine from here at the Mountain and do just as well as – if not better than – you did in Washington." Hank grinned at the expression Jack's face.

"Just pick up shop and move, huh? Ya know, the only reason I didn't vote for Hayes the first time was because of Kinsey. But I'm sure glad the man proved me wrong." Jack rubbed his hands together eagerly. "And you're alright with this?"

"Glad to have you, Jack." Hank assured him. "Oh, and as for Dr. Jackson…"

"Daniel? What about him?"

"_His_ promotion can still happen on schedule, seeing as how he deserves the recognition – earned it a long time ago, too – and that he wouldn't actually be gaining any new responsibilities…"

Jack sighed happily, folding his hands behind his head and leaning back is the chair as he shared a thoroughly pleased look with Landry. "Then so it shall be."

"Amen." Hank looked thoughtful for a moment. "We'll have to find you a good place for your office. You and your assistant."

"I thought there were offices on Level 5 for Homeworld Security." Jack said, making a face at the thought of still having to find an assistant. "And you don't need Walter anymore, do you?"

"There are but I think you'd be happier closer to the action – more efficient, too. And the Chief is just fine where he is. Go find your own assistant O'Neill." Hank chuckled.

"Nuts. Well…maybe I can convince Davis to stick around if it means coming back to the SGC." Jack mused. He decided to ask the man as soon as he had the chance. "When he's not off-world with SG9…"

"There hasn't been much for SG9 to do lately in the way of diplomacy, Jack. I don't think Davis will mind too much if you actually put him to work and use his real skills."

"Yeah. Well, he's one of the few who know how I operate so he knows how to work with me." Jack sighed dramatically, pushing to his feet.

Hank chuckled and reached for a new stack of paperwork. "You certainly left me with a legend to fall around here, General O'Neill."

Jack paused, hand on the door knob of Landry's office door. "You've done a really great job, Hank. Don't ever think you haven't, and for god's sake don't think I'm asking you to take HWS because I…"

"Jack, Jack…Relax. I understand perfectly well why you're doing what you're doing." Hank waved Jack's reassurances aside. "Besides, do you honestly think that I – or the President, for that matter – would have agreed to any of this if we didn't think it was a good idea and that you didn't deserve it?"

Looking sheepish, Jack ran his fingers through his short, silvered hair. "Okay. I just…" he stopped at Hank's stare (one he'd apparently learned from Teal'c). "Thanks, Hank."

"Not a problem. Now go away! I'm sure you've got a million things to do this week, though I expect my people back rested, well, and ready to go first thing on Monday."

"I'll make sure of it." Grinning, Jack offered a jaunty salute as he left the office.

* * *

Daniel watched with a critical eye as the two young, overly-muscled men manhandled his new sofa through the front door and worked out the logistics to turn it around the corner and down into the living room. "It might have been a better idea to bring it around back and inside through the patio doors…" he mused aloud to himself, wincing as he heard the wood of the door frame creaking ominously. He just hoped nothing got busted or Jack would probably have a fit.

Thankfully this was the final delivery of the day. The dining set of table, chairs, and sideboard had arrived earlier, and next the side tables and coffee table for the living room. Now it was the sofa and armchairs. Daniel was grateful that was it, because he really just wanted it all in place when Jack came back so they could just enjoy the house together for the first night, alone. And he very much wanted to start living here with Jack, to begin their new life together and to turn the house into _their_ home.

Daniel sighed in relief when the delivery guys managed to get the long sofa into the living room without damaging anything. He glanced at the open door when he heard a vehicle drive into the car park but couldn't see past the delivery truck to see who it was. Assuming it was Jack or one of his teammates, Daniel left the door open and went to help the delivery guys tear off the packing plastic and wrap from his new sofa, and direct them to where he wanted it placed (even though he suspected it would get moved again later when Jack saw it, as the General was as particular about his furniture placement as any _Feng Shui_ master).

The delivery guys left to fetch the sofa armchairs and Daniel was standing, his back to the front door, admiring his new sofa when there was a loud knocking on the door and a questioning. "Dr. Jackson?" in a familiar Texas twang. Whirling in surprise, Daniel gaped up at his former Commander.

"General Hammond!" he exclaimed, blue eyes wide behind his glasses, "Sir! What are you doing here? I mean…it's great to see you and what a surprise!"

Hammond chuckled, his eyes crinkling with mirth. "Hello, son. Sorry to drop by so unexpectedly, but I heard from Hank Landry that Jack was in the Springs and that you were moving into his old house this week, so I thought I'd pay a visit while in town."

Daniel's eyebrows did their expressive little dance as all kinds of emotions flirted across his face until it settled into happiness and welcome. He beamed at the General and beckoned him inside. "Well it is very good to see you again, sir. Come in, please! And forgive the disaster zone."

"Thank you, Daniel. And don't make me remind you like I do Jack that it's 'George.'" Hammond came in and clasped Daniel's outstretched hand firmly, shaking it.

Sheepish, the linguist laughed. "Yes, well, I think it's all habit. I don't think either Jack or I will ever stop calling you, 'Sir,' no matter how hard we try." Daniel gestured at the sofa. "Take a load off, George, and break it in! Can I get you anything? I know there's Guinness left in the kitchen…"

"Yes, please." Hammond sat on the sofa just as the delivery guys brought in the first of the armchairs. "But finish up with these gentlemen first, Daniel. I'm in no great hurry and I did drop by unexpectedly."

"Oh it's no trouble, sir. You're always welcome." Daniel assured him, heading for the kitchen to grab the Guinness bottles. "Jack should be back anytime. He had a meeting with General Landry." He popped the caps off the bottles, walked back over to his guest in the living room and handed one to Hammond. "Slaïnte."

"Thank you, and ditto."

They took a healthy drink after saluting each other with the bottles.

After the delivery guys brought in, unpacked, and set up the armchairs, they left with a generous tip from Daniel for all their hard work. He rejoined Hammond in the living room, trying out one of the new armchairs with a happy little sigh. "Oh yeah. So much better than those chairs on base…"

Hammond chuckled, smiling fondly at the younger man. "I imagine that those will make recovery time – God forbid you ever _need_ recovery time again though – just a little easier."

Daniel smiled wryly. "Funny, 'cause Jack said pretty much the something when we…uh, _I_ bought them." Inwardly cringing at the near slip, the linguist kept talking in the hope that Hammond wouldn't notice. "Jack helped pick them out, and even Teal'c fits in one of these comfortably." And now a change of subject, as smoothly as could be. "So you're visiting your daughter and grandkids, George? How are they?"

If Hammond caught on to the change of subject, he gave no sign and let it go. "They're all doing wonderfully. Kayla got into swimming recently."

"As in lessons?"

"No, competitive. She wants to join the Swim Club."

"Wow. Good for her." Daniel smiled at the proud expression on Hammond's jovial face.

"Yes, she's quite excited about it. And, while I'd come out to see my girls, I also had some business at the Academy." George took a sip of his Guinness, meeting the linguist's gaze. "I heard about your new team, Daniel, and I couldn't have been happier to hear you'd talked the IOA into it."

Daniel flushed but smiled. "I was rather surprised, myself. I didn't think they'd go for the expense."

"Son, if anyone can talk that bunch of miserly penny-pinchers into something, it's you. You've always underestimated your ability to negotiate and come to terms with such people. I've certainly seen you do so many, many times."

Daniel shrugged, picking absently at the label on his bottle. He didn't really know what to say to that, except, "I just try to do my job and what's good for the programme, sir."

Hammond smiled kindly, yet a little sadly. "Well, I'm certain that as long as you keep _on_ doing so, the world and the programme will always benefit."

The redness to Daniel's face spoke plenty about how hearing such praise truly affected him – and that he still didn't fully believe it. Daniel let it drop, though, and nodded before taking a real chug of his Guinness.

Topics moved onto less serious areas of conversation, much to the archaeologist's relief. And Daniel – running out of such safe topics to use for small talk – was just contemplating calling Jack's cell to find out where the hell he'd disappeared to when the man himself finally came in, as boisterous as always.

"Daniel! I'm back! Where're ya at, Dannyboy?" He called out as he noisily burst through the front door laden down with grocery bags. He had yet to turn in the direction of the living room, and thus saw neither his mate nor Hammond. Instead, he moved on into the kitchen from the entry hall to put down all his purchases, continuing with, "Come to the kitchen, where ever you are!"

Rolling his eyes and smiling apologetically at their former CO, Daniel rose and hurried off to the kitchen at Hammond's grinning 'shoo' motion.

"Jack…" he said, eyeing all the stuff Jack was pulling out of the bags. "Jack, we…"

"Hey! There you are. So did the furniture show up? Can't wait to lounge in real comfort with the game on our new TV!" Jack beamed like a kid, rubbing his hands together gleefully. "Or the History Channel, or Discovery, or whatever you want…" he hastily amended at Daniels' raised eyebrow.

"Jack, I don't really care. You know I'm not big on the boob-tube. I could live without just fine, thanks. But forget that." Daniel waved that aside, trying to alert Jack to their guest.

"What? Dying to know what Landry said, I suppose." Jack nodded, continuing to empty out bags onto the counter. "Actually, we do have to talk about that, but let's deal with this stuff first, then figure out something to eat."

With an exasperated sigh, Daniel grabbed onto Jack by the biceps and forcibly whirled his startled partner to face the living room. "Jack! We have company! Quit babbling long enough for me to say so!"

Jack blinked, tensing at the sight of a familiar bald head – even if it was the backside. "Shit!" He hissed at a whisper. "Why the hell didn't you say so earlier?"

"I would have but _you_ wouldn't give me a chance." Daniel grumbled, following the older man out to greet their guest.

"General!" Jack exclaimed exuberantly, wide, wide smile on his face in welcome. "What a surprise! How's it going, George?"

Hammond stood, accepting Jack's offered hand to pump it strongly in greeting. "Jack. Quite well, thanks. How're you doing?" He sat back down, winking at Daniel, whose wry expression made him chuckle. Honestly, these two never, ever changed, and thank God for it.

"I'll finish putting stuff away." Daniel said, intending to escape to the kitchen. He'd let Jack deal with the situation for a while. "Oh, did you want another Guinness, sir?" he asked before leaving.

"No, thank you, son. I think I'm good for a while."

"Jack?"

"Yeah sure you betcha." Jack plunked down in an armchair – the same one Daniel had occupied earlier. Daniel slipped away momentarily, returning with Jack's Guinness before disappearing again.

"So, Jack, how's life in Washington treating you? You look much less…stressed than the last time I saw you." Hammond commented, studying the other General's face. He had changed quite a bit in the past decade or so since they'd served in the programme; his face was a little more worn, weathered, and lined, his hair was almost totally silver now, and his years flying a desk had taken its toll subtly on Jack's physique (though he was still quite lean and muscular). But rather than the frown lines at his brow there were crinkles at his eyes and mouth, and Jack smiled more easily with real contentment than he ever had in the time Hammond had known him. And while his former 2IC regaled him with tales of Washington, Hammond thought he had a pretty darned good idea for the reason Jack O'Neill was at peace with himself. Finally.

That reason sauntered back into the living room to rejoin them in the middle of Jack's complaint about his lack of quality assistants. Daniel dropped into the vacant armchair.

"Oh please, Jack. You terrorize every one of those poor souls so badly that it's no wonder they prefer any assignment other than you."

"Hey, it's not _my_ fault that the quality of today's administrators is so low!" Jack retorted, sniffing indignantly. "Not to mention that all the good ones are already taken. I only have the dregs left to choose from."

"Right." Daniel obviously didn't agree. "You know you only do it because you don't have the Marines, the new SGC recruits, or _me_ to pick on anymore."

Jack scowled, slouching in his seat. "I never did such a thing! Especially not to you, Dr. Jackson!"

"Let's not get into that." Daniel moved away from the subject, raising an eyebrow at Jack in warning. "The point is that you're coming back to the SGC and you'll have plenty of helpful people around – and the Marines, the new SGC recruits, and Mitchell (instead of me) to pick on. So stop complaining."

"Coming back?" Hammond jumped in at that piece of news, content until then to listen to them banter and argue again – for old times' sake. "Care to elaborate, gentlemen?"

Jack, on reflexes so ingrained after all these years, came to attention in his seat at the commanding tone in Hammond's voice. He couldn't help it! "Yes, sir! It's all my fault, sir."

"I figured that much. Relax, Jack. I'm not your CO anymore." Hammond gave the other General a curious look that had more than a little understanding in it. "I wondered how long it would take for you to have enough of D.C., Jack. What prompted it now, though?"

Jack relaxed with a grimace (at himself), but seemed to flounder for an explanation that wouldn't sound completely selfish, wouldn't give away his true reason (Daniel), and _would_ be plausible.

Watching his best friend and partner flail, as entertaining as it was, Daniel decided to take pity on him. "Jack is wasted on the Pentagon, sir. We all know he's much more useful on the front lines commanding than sitting behind a desk pushing a pencil. And…is it so bad that he wanted to come home?" Daniel refused to look at Jack as he spoke, though he could see the astonishment on his face even off to the side in his peripheral vision. "He's done more than enough to have earned the right to pick and choose his post."

Hammond smiled easily and held up a hand. "I would never say otherwise, Daniel. In fact I'd be among the first to say the same. I only wonder why he waited until now to actually take that initiative for himself, why he stuck it out for two years." He paused thoughtfully, looked back and forth between the two men in the armchairs, then smiled again quite knowingly. "Of course, I'm no spring chicken. I've been around the block a few times, and I think I've a pretty good idea for Jack's reasoning."

The colour in both Jack and Daniel's faces didn't seem to know whether to drain completely or rush up to fill them. They exchanged quick side glances, and luckily for Daniel, Jack managed to find his voice first and make it as even and without inflection as possible.

"You do, sir? What?"

"Son, neither of you can fool me. I've watched the two of you go through more than any one person should ever go through, and you did it together. Always. Whether you agreed or disagreed, whether you liked it or not, that was one thing that never changed. And Jack, you know perfectly well that as Base Commander you know _everything_ that goes on in that mountain. Everything. I often wondered when you'd realize certain things for yourself and then, when you did, I wondered how long it would be before you did anything about those things." Hammond shook his head, ignoring the way Daniel seemed to shrink into this seat in embarrassment and Jack's smacked guppy impersonation. "And when you took the HWS post, I honestly feared you never would."

A long moment of silence stretched out between them before Daniel asked warily, in a quiet tone, "What exactly are you saying, sir?"

Hammond sighed, his smile melting into a very serious expression – but not an unkind one. "I've known the two of you could be so much more than the close, best friends you are. Of course I couldn't say anything, being your CO, no matter how often I wanted to give you boys a shove in the right direction. But at this point, in all our lives, with the state of the universe such as it is and life being that much more uncertain, I'm not particularly worried about breaking the DADT regs."

Wide-eyed, Daniel croaked, "I see."

Jack was looking a tad flustered, but courageously ploughed on. "I'd never do anything to put Daniel or the SGC or the programme at risk, General. I swear that if…if it should happen that being with Daniel clouds my judgment at _any_ time for _any_ reason… I'll retire immediately. It won't – I will do everything to make sure it doesn't – but…"

"General O'Neill." Hammond halted his flow of promises quietly. "Jack. I know. I don't believe there will be issues, either. If there's one thing that's painfully obvious after over a decade of serving with you and Daniel, it's that you two are stronger together than apart. I foresee nothing but benefits for us all by you two being back together."

Swallowing hard, Daniel leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "So… you're okay with…us?" he waved a finger between himself and Jack.

The smile was back as Hammond reclined comfortably in his spot on the sofa. "Son, I'm an old Texan grandfather, and I'm a military man. But I am no fool, nor am I homophobic bigot. I don't care whom one person loves. Because it's love. And I've seen far too many people hurt because of who they loved in my years in the military. Stupid, senseless, and a tragic waste, all of it. I can only say to the both of you…finally! And congratulations."

Blushing, Jack pushed to his feet and snapped to, giving Hammond a perfect salute. "Thank you, sir. You have no idea what that means to us, General."

Hammond beamed fondly at them and rose, too, reaching out to offer a hand to Jack. "Just take care of each other and be happy, Jack." He said, patting Jack on the shoulder heartily after a firm handshake. "And of course, it goes without saying that if you hurt him, I'll kill you myself."

Smiling weakly at those visions of Hammond with a shotgun flew through his head once again, Jack nodded fervently. "Of course, sir. Wouldn't have it any other way, George."

* * *

They said good evening to Hammond not long after, when he declined their invitation to join them for dinner. Since it was just the two of them, it was late, and neither really felt like cooking now, Jack ordered out from O'Malley's (which they could get away with because they made the order under Teal'c's Tau'ri name, Murray, being _still_ banned from the restaurant).

In the middle of his wonderfully fulfilling steak, Jack realized there was still one thing he had yet to show his mate. Swallowing and chasing his last bite down with his Guinness, he pushed away from the table abruptly. "I'll be right back." He stated, going to look for his jacket and the little Asgard anti-surveillance device.

Daniel's fork paused halfway to his mouth when Jack seemed to suddenly leap up from the table. "Jack? You okay?"

"Fine!" The General's voice floated back from the hall. "I forgot I have something to show you." Jack walked back in holding his jacket in one hand while he dug around in its pockets for something.

"Must be important, considering I figured nothing short of an Ori invasion would get you to leave your steak."

The glimmer of amusement in Daniel's eyes teased Jack lightly. "Harbour. No, really. Ah ha! Here it is." Jack pulled out the device triumphantly and set it on the table next to Daniel's place mat.

An eyebrow went way up. "Asgard communication device?" Daniel picked it up and inspected it, the lines in his brow furrowing as they always did when he concentrated.

"Nope. Let's say it's Thor's idea of a house warming gift. Or maybe a wedding present?" Jack wasn't sure his little pinky-grey buddy knew exactly why he agreed to make such a thing at Jack's request, but hey! The Asgard had a soft spot for SG1 – Jack and Daniel in particular. Even if, in the end, they hadn't been able to help the Asgard save themselves…from themselves. "I talked him into making that for us a year or so ago, when I first conceived of my grand plan to win you over."

"Ah. What's it do?"

"This right here is a kind of remote for the whole system – which Thor installed himself, from orbit, using Asgard beams. It's also a portable version." Jack informed him, pleased with the whole thing. "Think of it as the ultimate security system. No surveillance of any kind can be used on the property when this baby's set, and there are Asgard sensors all over that, when set, will scan and identify anyone who sets foot on the property – and if it isn't someone we give permission to come and go freely, then it'll set off all kinds of alarms."

"And," Jack held out his hand and Daniel dropped the little device in his palm, "This remote, here, when we take it somewhere else, can act like an anti-surveillance system. It has all kinds of different settings…there's a manual Thor gave me somewhere."

Daniel's eyes were wide but intrigued. "Wow, Jack. That's…really nifty."

"Isn't it?" Jack beamed proudly. "I told Thor I needed something that would guarantee our privacy, and this is what he did."

The linguist smiled sadly, fondly remembering Thor and his people. "I'm just sad that we can't thank him. He really was one of our best new friends we made going through that 'Gate."

Jack's smile faded. "Yeah." He agreed softly. "I miss him. I never really got to say goodbye."

"None of us did. Except Sam, since she was with him before he jumped ship just prior to the Ori attack. It all happened too soon." Morose, Daniel fiddled with the remains of his supper on his plate.

"Well, I'm sure he and all the rest are still looking out for us. And they _did_ trust us with _all_ their toys." Jack tried to lighten the mood again. "Thor wouldn't want us to sit around being sad because of him, right?" He laid a hand over Daniel's on the table.

"No. He wouldn't." the linguist had to give a small smile at that. Picking up his glass of wine, he raised it in a toast. "To our patrons the Asgard, and to our good friend Thor. May they live in eternal peace from now on."

"I'll second that." Jack clinked his glass to Daniel's lightly and they drank in honour of their former allies.

"Speaking of…" Daniel frowned to himself, watching the wine swirl in his glass. "Everything they gave us…it's still all on board _Odyssey_, right?"

Jack nodded, quirking an eyebrow. "Yeah, so?"

"Do you honestly feel comfortable with that? I mean…the legacy of the Asgard, the only remains of their entire race and civilization…all their knowledge, all their technology, and it's all centred in _one_ place. On a ship that could very well be destroyed the next time it encounters an Ori ship."

Frowning, Jack's fork paused in mid-air half-way to his mouth. Slowly, he put it down again. "When you put it that way… No. I really don't. The only problem is that so much of the tech-stuff is built into the ship, integrated into its systems. I'm not positive – you'd have to ask Carter – but I don't believe most of that can be…uninstalled?" Jack sighed. "You're right, Daniel. We should be doing everything we can to preserve what they've trusted us with. The problem is, without an Asgard to _help_ us remove stuff, I'm not sure we can."

Daniel shook his head. "In their defence, they didn't have enough time to teach us everything. I think Thor might have done more if those Ori ships hadn't found Orilla and _Odyssey_ so soon. He would at least have taught Sam all he could. It was all they could do to get it all on board and install everything, make sure it was working."

"Yeah." There wasn't much Jack could say.

"I know I'm the scholar, but my real concern is the Asgard database. Their knowledge. If we could just…make several copies somehow and spread them out a bit, then their legacy would survive." Daniel made a frustrated sound. "They've been the _only_ one of the Four Races to be true allies and friends to us, Jack! A truly advanced people that didn't treat us entirely like we're too dumb to understand, who decided we're trustworthy enough to pass on the Galactic torch to. There has to be _something_ we can do!"

Jack got up and moved to stand behind his frustrated mate. Dropping his hands on Daniel's shoulders, he began to massage and knead the tension out of the scholar. "I know. And we'll work on it. We'll think of something, Danny. _You'll_ think of something."

Groaning, Daniel let his head fall forward, chin to chest, as Jack's hands worked magic on his muscles. "Maybe…God, Jack. Keep that up, flyboy…"

A slow grin spread over Jack's face. "Why Danny! You're a massage slut! You know, I'd probably do a better job of this if you were horizontal. Say…on the new bed we're going to break in tonight?" The smile turned smug as Daniel simply stood, grabbed his hand, and dragged him out of the dining room to the bedroom upstairs. Yep. He sure knew how to get his mate's motor running.

Pure desire pulsed through Jack as he watched Daniel unceremoniously strip off, right down to the buff. It was lust, certainly, and deep love (without question) but there was also a large dose of disbelief. While Daniel yanked the covers back out of the way and crawled over the mattress to the middle of the bed to lie on his stomach in a hedonistic display that made Jack's mouth go dry, the older man was trying to convince himself that it was real, he wasn't dreaming, there was no alien anything making this up for him or messing with his head…

"Jack? Hey… That beloved voice drew his eyes up to meet a bright, concerned blue gaze. "You okay?"

"Huh? No, I'm fine." Jack shook himself mentally. Hello! What the hell was he doing standing here stupidly? "Just…admiring the view." Save! And the leer he managed to throw in was pretty good cover, too.

Or not. Daniel wasn't buying it; Jack could tell by the expression on his face – which included a raised eyebrow á la Teal'c.

The younger man frowned and pushed himself up on his forearms, turning just enough that he could pat the bed beside himself. "Come here and sit, Jack." Obediently (only because he was thoroughly distracted by the acres of naked Daniel flesh spread out in front of him) Jack did so. Daniel scooted back a bit so Jack could actually stretch out beside him on his back, staring up at the ceiling…until his vision was interrupted by Daniel's face looking down at him from the side.

"Okay. So what's going on in that brain of yours, O'Neill?" Daniel asked, propping himself up with one arm and one of the new, king-sized pillows. "Did I do something wrong? Say something?"

Brown eyes widened slightly. "No! No, not at all. It's not you at all…" Jack rubbed a hand over his face, frustrated with himself. He hadn't expected to freeze up like this.

Daniel gave him a questioning look, and gently traced Jack's facial features with an equally knowledgeable fingertip. "It's okay, you know. If it's too much, too soon…"

"No. I _want_ this, Danny. God, so much! I want _you_." Jack hurried to assure him. "I just…I don't know why it all of a sudden made me as nervous as a damn teenager, or why I'm having such a hard time believing that…that…you're here. That you want this – want _me_ – and I just…"

Daniel's whole face smiled very tenderly with total understanding. "Ah. Well, I guess that's something I'll have to work on isn't it? Because I do want you, Jack." His free hand left Jack's cheek to find Jack's hand and slide it down his side, over his hip, and under his pelvis to feel the growing evidence for himself. A small gasp came from parted lips and blue eyes drifted closed a moment at that first touch. Jack was mesmerized by all of it. "Oh god…Jack, the only way I can prove it is if you and I…"

Jack took the hint, his hand becoming quite sure and setting up a slow, steady rhythmic stroking that had Daniel rolling onto his back and moaning in bliss. Awed, Jack watched the build-up of pleasure in his lover – _now_ he could actually say that – and wondered at the reality that _he_ was doing this to Daniel, that he could do _this_ to Daniel. It was the most humbling experience in his life next to the first time he'd held his newborn son.

"J-Jack…Jack!" Daniel ground out, grabbing the man by the wrist and forcing him to stop. "Too close…" he panted heavily, blue eyes gone nearly solid black and glanced with pleasure. Reaching for Jack's shirt, Daniel started to wrestle the garment off the older man with a lusty, possessive growl. That sound burst Jack's focus like a bubble and within seconds they had him stripped bare. As Daniel swiftly moved to straddle Jack and claim a kiss that absolutely scorched, Jack reached under the pillows awkwardly and felt around for the tube of Astroglide he'd stashed when Daniel wasn't looking while setting up the bed and other stuff in the room.

It took several tries and more than a few moments to find it, since he was so distracted with kissing Daniel and touching him with the other hand everywhere he possibly could reach. And he was _so_ hard it was nearly impossible to concentrate on anything _but_ not exploding like that sun Carter once blew up – because this had been a long time in coming, had been pent up and corked for so long, and everything Daniel did was with such intensity and focus it was nearly overwhelming. Jack _loved_ it.

"Ughn..oh god, Danny! Enough, enough…" Jack tried pushing Daniel away for a moment (with great, reluctant difficulty). Finally, his fingers closed around the lube just as Daniel pushed himself up and back to stare down into Jack's eyes. "Here." Jack panted, shoving the tube at the younger man. "I don't know…that we can manage the heavy stuff right now…" he glanced down between them, noting their copiously weeping erections and the tension of muscles holding back. "But I'm sure that'll still be useful."

Daniel's eyes widened at the knowledge that Jack had been thinking ahead enough to get supplies. "Didn't know you were a boy scout, Jack." He grinned, opening the tube. A shiver went through the hardened, worn body under him at the husky, teasing croon of his voice.

"Oh, I wasn't." Jack's answering grin was perfectly wicked and he dropped his hands to Daniel's toned thighs as the linguist sat up, still straddling Jack's waist. He slowly slid his palms upward as he spoke, stroking damp skin with appreciation. "You know me; I'm just practical that way."

"And horny." Daniel warmed the lube and raised an eyebrow at his lover.

"And that." Jack agreed, totally unrepentant. It was an education watching Daniel dribble the gel-like lubricant into his palm then carefully coat first his own erection (biting into his bottom lip to hold back the moan) then Jack's (whose fingers dug into Daniel's legs hard enough to leave little imprints). "Danny…my god you're beautiful like this…"

Daniel's eyes closed to half-mast, the barest hint of blue still visible. Falling forward and shifting until he was pressed almost chest-to-chest with Jack, their cocks slipping along-side each other into their bellies with fantastic friction, he smiled and nibbled at Jack's mouth eagerly. "So are you. We've waited so long for this, Jack…don't hold back!"

The older man's arms curled around Daniel, pulling him close, and Jack captured Daniel's mouth in a brief, hard, deep kiss. When he released the linguist's lips, he replied hoarsely. "Never, love. I'm yours, so do what you want with me."

Daniel made a throaty noise and began to move, hips rocking and pushing just enough into Jack's. When Jack's hands smoothed down his back to grip his hips and Jack began moving in counterpoint to Daniel's movements, the younger man let out a whimper and buried his face in Jack's neck, muffling his cries as the pleasures began to escalate.

They'd both known it would be over quickly, though it was Daniel who lost it first. His whole body shook with the tremors of his orgasm, his shattered moan of completion muffled in the pillow under Jack's head next to his ear. All that, plus the sight and scent of it, was more than enough to pull Jack's orgasm out of him so hard he very nearly bucked his lover off with the first jerk of his body as he came with a hoarse cry of Daniel's name.

When the stars faded and his head came out of orbit, Daniel mustered the energy to fall to one side, removing his bulk from crushing Jack, still lying insensate beneath him. Once he'd stopped panting for breath and his body cooled down, Daniel blinked lethargically, while a slow, sated, and sappy grin began to spread across his face. He trailed a finer through the sticky mess on his stomach and began to chuckle – a joyous sound that dragged Jack out of his stupor with a rather smug grin of his own.

The General rolled toward him. "Oh yeah. We _so_ needed that." He grinned at the snort of laughter from his bed-mate. "And you're just silly in a post-coital moment, I see."

"Not silly." Daniel protested, swallowing back his laughter. "I'm happy." He turned to face Jack and ran his non-sticky fingers through Jack's silver hair affectionately. "I think for the first time in…years, I'm happy."

Whiskey brown eyes went unbelievably soft, crinkling at the corners as Jack smiled back. He draped an arm about Daniel's waist and wriggled closer. "You have no idea how much that means to me, Danny. I've wanted nothing more than for you to be happy since…since our first mission as SG1 so long ago. And that I can do that for you?" Jack let him see the wonder and humility it caused in him. "I'm so lucky it's criminal."

"I love you." Daniel murmured self-consciously at the sap quotient. He moved closer to Jack and kissed him languidly, with all the emotion he had for this man who made his life worth living. Not even the Stargate could do that for him anymore. It was still a thrill every time, but nothing compared to how Jack made him feel.

Wrapping his arms firmly around the younger man, Jack plastered them together as tightly as he could in a full-body embrace. "I love you, too." He breathed with a heartfelt sigh as they curled around one another, sleep weighing them down into unconsciousness.

* * *

**Chapter III**

They made love twice that night. It was awkward at times – both needing to remember the mechanics and to get fully acquainted with each other's bodies until the goal was achieved – and there was a lot of laughter, something neither would have expected of sex with the other man. Daniel felt obliged to point out that now that they had the hang of it and got their limbs and bodies coordinated, sex would get much easier and less acrobatic.

Jack followed that idea with a comment about throwing out half the Gay Kama Sutra then, and a pout that made his archaeologist laugh until his sides hurt. When he stopped snickering, Daniel promised they'd only get acrobatic in attempts for that rather than because they had trouble with legs in the wrong places and elbows to the ribs (or head) at the wrong time.

The next morning at brunch (since it was nearly noon by the time they got up and Daniel had his first pot of coffee for the day), Jack realized he had a lot of loose ends to tie up, now that he was officially staying in the Springs and at the SGC. First order of business: his stuff back in D.C.

"I'm gonna have to go back and get it all, Daniel." He pointed out. "Not that the USAF won't pack it up and get it here for me, but…there's some personal stuff that I don't trust strangers to pack."

"Such as?" Daniel asked curiously over his coffee mug. They were sitting at the island counter, eating brunch.

"Some stuff that was Charlie's mainly." Jack stared down at his now empty plate. "And a few other odds and ends."

"Ah." Understanding, Daniel took a sip of his java. "Well, why don't we go? I don't have to be back until Monday, right?"

Jack smiled. "You'd come with?"

"Of course."

"Okay. I'll get us there, you call Landry and let him know you're leaving town so they aren't panicking when they can't find us should something happen." Jack planted a noisy, wet smooch on Daniel's cheek as he stood up. His mate grimaced and wiped at the damp spot, but didn't complain. He was too used to Jack's quirky sense of humour and affection ate ways.

* * *

Two hours and a handful of phone calls later, they'd dressed, packed overnight bags (just in case it took longer than expected to do the packing), and were now standing in the ir backyard awaiting their transport to Washington.

"Jack, seriously. This _has_ to be some sort of flagrant misuse of power." Daniel grumbled, eyeing his partner – the Major General – with a disapproving stare.

"It is not, Daniel." Jack rolled his eyes. "What would you have me do? Call the President and ask permission first? Like I'm asking to borrow my parents' car…" he muttered under his breath. Daniel heard and scowled.

"I heard that. And yes, maybe you should call Hayes."

"Well tough Tok'ras, Danny-boy, because I'm not gonna. So get over it." Jack declared stubbornly. He glanced at his watch. "Any minute now…"

Daniel opened his mouth to deliver a rather pissy retort but never got to say it, as they were beamed aboard the _Odyssey_ yet again – bags and all.

"General O'Neill!" The welcoming voice of _Odyssey's_ Commander, Colonel Davidson, boomed. "And Dr. Jackson! Welcome aboard."

"Colonel." Daniel greeted the man politely.

"Davidson!" Jack returned the greeting with typical Jack charm. "Thanks for the lift."

"Not a problem, sir. We're actually just running through some training exercises and drills today, so this actually gives some of our newest crew the chance to learn and practice with the beam technology."

"Good, good. Glad we could help." Jack grinned, ignoring Daniel's sigh of exasperation.

"So where can we put you down, sir?" Davidson inquired. "We were only told you needed to get to D.C. quickly."

Jack scratched his head thoughtfully. "My office in the Pentagon, I suppose. Might as well deal with that first." He gave Daniel a glance in question.

"It's your show, Jack. You're the one moving shop. I'm just along for the ride." Daniel smiled, all too innocently. Jack didn't trust that guileless expression one iota.

"And to make pithy, sarcastic comments to keep me on my toes." Jack added with his own brand of snark. "If you didn't want to come, ya could have just said so."

They glared at each other until Davidson (obviously confused and trying to hide his amusement at their bickering) cleared his throat.

"Ah, yes sir, General. The Pentagon it is." He gestured at the Major sitting at the controls, who began pushing buttons on her console. "Good luck with it, sir, and just call when you're ready to head back to the Springs."

Jack nodded, smiled, and offered a salute, which he received in return. Daniel just waved as the beams did their thing once more.

A brief, tingly sensation and moment of blankness and Daniel found himself standing in Jack's cramped office in the Pentagon. He blinked and looked around curiously.

Jack was already digging around in his desk, pulling stuff out of the drawers.

"So…why are we here, again?" Daniel asked, picking up a statuette of a bald eagle he assumed Jack was using as a paperweight since it sat atop a large stack of papers.

"Because I have to get people started on packing up the HWS to move to the SGC…ASAP." Jack paused, thinking through what he just said. "Good god, I _have_ been here too long! I'm starting to speak in acronyms." He shuddered in horror and reached for his phone on the desk.

Daniel snickered, setting the eagle down again.

"But first," Jack picked up their handset of the red phone and pushed one button. "This is General O'Neill for the President. No it's not urgent but he will want to…thank you." Jack rolled his eyes and motioned for Daniel to sit down.

Shrugging, the linguist made himself comfortable in eh leather armchair in front of Jack's desk, raising his feet to prop them up on the corner of the desk, ankles crossed for balance. "The President?" he asked.

"I don't think anyone's told him yet that you accepted…the promotion." Jack caught himself in time from saying 'my proposal.' But from his partner's nod, Daniel understood anyway. "And that the rest of the plan is moving forward."

"Ah."

Jack's attention shifted back to the phone. "Yes, sir. How are you? Good, good. No everything's okay, Mr. President. Very okay, as a matter of fact, which is why I'm calling. Yes sir, exactly." Jack grinned, winking at Daniel. "He's right here, too. Yes, Landry informed me about that change of plan. Oh no, sir, not at all. It'll work out fine that way. Are you sure you don't mind Homeworld Security moving across the country, sir?" Whatever Hayes said made Jack laugh. "No, sir. I think it will actually make Hank very happy to be able to stay in the Springs. He's grown rather attached. Well, we're in my office at the Pentagon right now, sir. Yes, that's what I thought I'd do first. _Odyssey_? Yes, sir, I will. Okay, and thank you sir, again. I'll tell him. Goodbye."

"So how's the President?" Daniel inquired casually, as if chatting with major world leaders was an everyday occurrence. Come to think of it, it probably was – just not necessarily world leaders from _Earth_."

"He's fine. Apparently I gave him a good excuse to get him out of a meeting with some senators that was giving him a migraine." Jack grinned. "He's very happy for us and told me to extend his heartfelt congratulations to you."

"That's nice." The blush belied his dry, neutral tone. "I can't believe you actually told him."

"So you've said." Jack looked around the room and sighed. "I'm also grateful he told me to task _Odyssey_ with moving all these filing cabinets and all the other files and _stuff_ from here to the SGC. It would be a severe pain in the ass to go through all the paperwork to get this office moved the old fashioned way."

"Shall I call Col. Davidson, or will you?" Daniel asked with a raised, questioning eyebrow.

"I will. No, you do that while I hunt down Davis and let him in on the fun and games." Jack headed for the door.

"What? Wait! I wasn't serious, Jack! I can't issue orders to _Odyssey_." Daniel's feet fell off the desk and he stood up hurriedly. "I'm not…"

"Yes, Daniel, you can. Well, these orders, anyway. No, you have no such command in a combat situation unless every other ranking officer available…isn't." Jack glanced over his shoulder at Daniel, explaining with gentle patience. "But you have rank now. Rank that comes with a few bonus privileges. You got promoted, remember?"

Daniel – smacked guppy expression and all – floundered about, wide-eyed, for a moment before simply reaching for the phone.

Jack smiled to himself as he opened the door. The President would never truly appreciate what giving Daniel a real voice among military minds could do for the programme…and the world. Sure, it was still restricted to non-combat civilian only types of things, but it was all Daniel needed.

Outside his office in the small waiting room he found a painfully young Lieutenant he didn't know, sitting at the desk that belonged to his non-existent assistant – currently meaning Davis. Her back was to the door and Jack, typing away on the computer so she didn't notice Jack was even there.

Raising an eyebrow suspiciously (someone he didn't know outside _his_ office – with access to computers belong to HWS?) Jack leaned against the doorframe with arms folded across his chest. "Excuse me, Lieutenant, but who might you be?"

The poor woman nearly fell out of her chair as she jumped in surprised shock and spun around to look at him. She also squeaked in an un-Lieutenant way. "Gah! My god! Are you trying to give me a heart attack?" She clutched a hand to her heart, gasping. Then she blinked, frowned, and narrowed her eyes suspiciously at him in return. "And who are you? How did you get in here?" Her hand was reaching for the phone, obviously about to call for security.

"I'd be General O'Neill, Lieutenant, and I asked you a question." Jack straightened and pinned her with his best stare of command. "You're in my office and I don't know you. Explain."

"I…General O'Neill?" She was still frowning and looking uncertain, though she hadn't picked up the phone yet. "I have to ask for some proof of that. I was told he was on leave and would not be back until Monday."

Jack, unfazed, pulled out his military ID and walked over to the desk, handing it over. "Now that we've established who I am, I'll ask again – who are you?"

The Lieutenant looked at the ID, paled, and hastily stood up and to attention, snapping a smart salute. "Sir! Forgive my ignorance, General, sir! I am Lieutenant Alexandra Keeley, USAF, sir!"

"And you're in my office…because why?"

"I…I was assigned to your office, sir, as an assistant to the General of Homeworld Security, sir!" Keeley looked confused, and a little afraid – like she'd been caught with her hand in the cookie jar. "I was told to report for duty as of this past Monday at 0800 hours, to learn the ropes – so to speak – and to familiarize myself with my duties in order to be as efficient and productive as possible upon the General's return. Sir!"

Jack sighed. "Who gave you the assignment, Lieutenant?"

"Colonel Davis, sir. He recruited me from among General Vidrine's staff."

"I see. At ease, Lieutenant Keeley." Jack ran a hand through his hair in exasperation. "Great. What am I going to do with you now?" He muttered to himself, as Keeley stood at parade rest and waited for orders.

"Jack!" Daniel appeared in his office doorway. "Where'd you…oh. Hello…" the linguist paused, taking in the new person and Jack's slightly annoyed expression.

"Just a minute, Daniel." Jack waggled a finger in his direction, looking at his new assistant. "Alright, Keeley, so where would Davis be at the moment, as do you know?"

"Yes, sir." She flipped open an appointment calendar on the desk. "Col. Davis had a meeting with…a Richard Woolsey from the IOA and…"

"Woolsey? Fantastic. What is that little weasel doing now?" Jack growled unhappily, glancing at an equally unhappy Daniel.

"Probably messing up my new team somehow." Daniel rolled his eyes. "Or trying to. Paul won't let him get far."

"Hmph. I'm beginning to think Carter should have left him at the Gamma site with all those bugs."

Daniel shuddered at the memory of those creatures that ultimately destroyed the Gamma site and drove nearly all life from the planet. "Not even weasel-Woolsey deserves that, Jack."

"You're more forgiving than I." Jack turned back to Keeley. "I take it you've been briefed on the programme, Lieutenant?"

"Mostly, yes, sir. I haven't quite finished reading the materials I was given."

"Uh huh. Well, I can imagine it's a lot of reading and a lot to take in so suddenly. Don't worry! You'll catch up quickly enough." Jack glanced at the clock on the wall. "Well, since I could give a rat's…"

"Jack…" Daniel's tone warned.

"…_tail_ about Woolsey, Lieutenant! Interrupt that meeting and get Col. Davis back here, ASAP. Then go hunt up a few boxes. We have a lot of packing to do and a relatively short time to do it." Jack waved a hand at the salute Keeley offered. "And Lieutenant, I'm not so formal. Relax with the salutes and stuff, please, at least out of formal situations."

"Yes, sir." Keeley reached for the phone again, watching her boss head toward the other man – who waved and smiled at her over the General's shoulder. As she dialled Col. Davis' cell number, she wondered just what she'd gotten into with this new posting. She'd heard a lot of rumours about this office and this General…

"Davis." The officer's voice said in her ear when he answered.

"Sir, it's Lt. Keeley from Gen. O'Neill's office."

There was a sigh. "Lieutenant, I'm still in a meeting. I know it's difficult learning all you need to in such a short amount of time, but surely you can manage without supervision for longer than…"

Keeley held the receiver away from herself to glare at it, insulted. "Sir, the General is here and requires your immediate presence in his office." She interrupted as calmly and politely as she could.

"…a couple of…what? He's _there_?" She could hear the surprise and not a little exasperation in his tone. "When did he arrive?"

"I don't know, sir. He just scared the…_startled_ me quite badly when he came out of his office, Colonel." Keeley informed him, hastily rephrasing what she'd been about to say. "I don't even know how he got past me."

Another sigh – this time a long-suffering one. "Don't worry, Lieutenant. I doubt he was expecting to find _you_ there, either. Welcome to HWS."

An impatient "Lieutenant!" was bellowed from her boss' office and she cringed. "Sir, I have to go. I'm being…paged. What can I tell the General?"

"I'm on my way. ETA, ten minutes."

"Very good, sir." Keeley hung up and hurried to the office door. "Sir! Col. Davis will be here in ten minutes!"

Jack, who already was pulling things off the walls and down from the shelves, spared a moment to glance at her, nod, and raise an eyebrow. "Boxes?"

"Yes, sir! I'll go acquire some from Supply."

Daniel, unnoticed in a corner, shook his head as she hurried away. "No wonder your aides have all had themselves reassigned, Jack. You're down-right scary."

"I am not. You've never had the pleasure of being subjected to any of the military's drill Sergeants." Jack huffed, shooting him a glare. "I'm nothing, even if I _can_ scare Jarheads shitless with a glare."

"Which doesn't scare me – and never has." Daniel retorted, not even looking at his partner. "So quit trying to use it on me."

"Gee. Feel the love?"

"Shut up, Jack."

A few minutes later, Keeley returned with several folded boxes – which she started unfolding and setting up for Jack, trying to be helpful. Not long after, a harried and slightly harassed-looking Col. Paul Davis hurried into the room.

"General O'Neill! I didn't know you were coming back so soon!" He blurted, flushing at his own tone – one that clearly said he wasn't pleased at being so uninformed. "Thankfully, Jack chose to ignore that (something that could have been taken as insubordination).

"That's because officially I'm not here, Davis. I'm still on vacation." Jack drawled, stuffing the lid on a box and grabbing another. Glancing at the man, who looked extremely confused as he took in the packing boxes, the office, and – finally – noticed Daniel over in one corner also packing away things with Keeley's help, Jack took pity on Davis and gestured at a yet vacant seat. "Have a seat, Colonel, and I'll fill you in."

"Hey, Paul." Daniel sent him a smile and wave. "Don't worry too much. It's just Jack pulling off one of his schemes."

"Daniel."

"Jack?"

"Hmph." The General ignored the twinkling innocence of his partner's expression.

"Hey, Daniel. Good to see you again." Paul replied, wondering if he ought to apply for leave himself. And he'd worked with these men for years.

Jack opened his mouth, frowned and glanced at the Lieutenant, then asked, "Is Keeley cleared, Davis?"

"Yes, but she hasn't been read in fully to the programme, yet." Paul blinked.

"Ah, well. I'll start off simple, then. HWS – aka me – is moving to Cheyenne Mountain for the foreseeable future. Hence," Jack gestured at the disaster zone of his office, "the packing and why I sent for you."

All the years and experience of politics and the weirdness of the programme paid off for Davis, keeping his expression neutral, calm, and vaguely interested. In other words, he refrained from jumping to his feet screeching, "WHAT?" in a manner un-officer-like. Then again, in a way, he'd been expecting something like this for a long, long time.

"I see. Would this be a part of that plan you were talking about before you left for your leave, sir?" Davis inquired.

"Yep. So…here's the not-so-simple part: you're a major part of this office and the programme, Davis, but whether or not you come along back to the Springs is entirely up to you. If you feel you need to remain here in D.C., then I'll set it up so that you do. As…" Jack thought fast, snapping his fingers. "…as what, Daniel?"

"HWS D.C. Liaison." Came the prompt reply in an amused voice. "Or something like that."

"Or something." Jack agreed, nodding. "Anyway, you're my right-hand man in this office, Davis, and you've earned the right to pick your posting – at least in my books you have."

Davis goggled a bit, startled by the praise. "I…thank you, sir. I really try to be useful and do what's good for the programme."

Daniel moved to stand at the desk, placing his now full box on the stack on the floor. He smiled at the officer. "We know. We know the efforts you've made, the hard work and sacrifice you've put into this. You're one of us, Paul. One of the old guard, so to speak. A lot of _our_ accomplishments would not have been made without you behind us, working behind the scenes and dealing with aspects of the programme we couldn't , or didn't want to, or simply had no ability to do so. I mean, Kinsey? Simmons? Those two alone were enough to earn your medals for bravery."

Jack nodded emphatically. "Me, I'd have just shot the bastards after one minute of their self-righteous, greedy, power-hungry tirades."

"I can't say I didn't want to…" Davis gave a wry smile, turning faintly pink at the praise from Daniel.

The General gave an easy smile, dropping down into his chair and raising his booted feet to rest on the desktop. "Ahh…man. I hate packing. I'm so taking this chair, though."

"You can't take the chair, Jack." Daniel shook his head.

"Why not?" An actual pout on the older man's face made Davis have to try really hard not to stare – or laugh. The whine in Jack's tone didn't help, either. "Hammond did!"

"You're not General Hammond."

Jack scowled. "You're just saying that because I wouldn't let you run off to Pegasus."

"No-oo, I'm not. Besides, Hammond took _me_ along with his chair, remember?" Daniel pointed out, drumming his fingers on Jack's boot. "And it was always George's chair. You thought of it that way, too."

"Metaphorically! I was hoping that Hammond 'taking it back' meant he was coming back to command the SGC!" Jack protested, flicking a paperclip at Daniel petulantly. "And I still can't believe he just…commandeered you like that! Without even asking me!"

"He doesn't have to. He out-ranks you." Daniel's smile was serene – and smug. He folded his arms. "He could requisition any personnel or whatever he wants. Including me, Walter, and his chair."

"We really needed Walter around, too. No one is as efficient as Walter." Jack grumbled.

Davis couldn't hide the snicker that escaped, but quickly moved the subject along to distract his superior officer from taking offence. "Which reminds me, sir, that if you're moving then so will your new aide – unless you think General Landry will let you have Walter back."

Jack made a face. "He won't. I wouldn't ask anyway. Walter's very good at what he does and enjoys where he is. He keeps the rest of us organized. And anyone returning from missions are quite reassured and relieved to hear his voice when they dial home. Removing Walter would be bad for morals." He shifted his gaze around the room and pinned the confused, astonished, and extremely curious Lieutenant still in the room, standing near the door, with a look. "So, Keeley, it looks like you're getting much more than you anticipated with the new posting."

"Yes, sir. I mean, I don't really understand at this juncture, but if you say so." Keeley raised her chin bravely, trying not to look as if she was totally clueless here.

"Simple. Your choice is pretty much as Davis' – since you're so new that I don't feel you should be dragged into this whole mess completely blind. You can stay in D.C., where it's safe and everything is normal." Jack sat up properly, dropping his feet to the floor and taking on his General persona. "Or you can have the opportunity of all lifetimes, get in on the real action, and maybe do something meaningful for not just your country but for all mankind." He glanced from her to Davis and back again. "I'll give you 24 hours to decide. Both of you. For now, though, I need your help packing up here. After which Daniel and I need to go pack up my personal stuff at the apartment."

Keeley saluted smartly. "I will go acquire more boxes, sir."

"Thank you, Lieutenant." Jack waved her off.

"I'll leave any computer files and such to you, Davis. I wouldn't have a clue." Jack eyed the computer on his desk like it was a Goa'uld.

"Yes, sir. Do I need to arrange for transport?" Davis stood, getting ready to go handle the computer files.

"Nope. _Odyssey_ and Davidson are standing by." Jack raised an eyebrow at Daniel, who nodded.

"He said to just yell when we're ready and he'd send down a couple of beacons to tag the stuff we want beamed to the SGC."

"Good, good. Well!" Jack jumped up, clapping his hands sharply. "Let's get this over with, gentlemen."

* * *

The remainder of the packing didn't take as long as Jack thought it would. The HWS was moved completely by dinner, and between Jack and Daniel the apartment was three-quarters packed and ready to go by the time Jack called it a night.

"That's it! I'm done." Jack tugged on Daniel's shirt, trying to draw him away from where he was carefully wrapping Jack's dishes in the kitchen before boxing them. "We can finish tomorrow." He settled his hands on Daniel's hips, moving closer and nuzzling behind Daniel's ear with light kisses.

"I'm almost done here. See? One last cupboard full." Daniel put the newspaper-wrapped bowl in the box and let Jack turn him, raising his arms to drape them on his partner's shoulders. Smiling, he leaned in for a kiss.

"Mmmhmm…" Jack acknowledged, steering Daniel as he began walking him backward out of the kitchen and down the hall to his bedroom, his lips hardly leaving Daniel's. It was a tad uncoordinated (there was some stumbling and bumping into walls) but they go there.

They were too tired for anything fancy, but they managed for a good time to be had by all – and slept quite well afterward.

Early the next morning, a very rare event occurred. Daniel was awake and up long before his lover – whose internal clock was set with all the precision of a Swiss-engineered timepiece. The linguist watched Jack sleep for a while, perfectly content, then quietly got out of bed to shower and dress. Then he slipped out to hunt down coffee and breakfast for them.

When Jack finally roused from the dead sleep he'd enjoyed, it was to the absence of Daniel's warmth next to him and the tantalizing scents of freshly brewed coffee and freshly baked something that made his stomach growl. Prying open his eyes, he blinked sleepily around the room until he spotted his missing bed mate. "Hey." He rumbled huskily.

"Morning, sleeping beauty." Daniel grinned, delighted to be able to tease Jack for once. He was sitting next to the bed on an armchair, his bare feet propped on the mattress, extra large steaming cup of coffee in his hand. "I found breakfast, if you'd care to join me."

"This I smell." Jack shoved himself up to a sitting position, letting his back prop up the headboard. "Gimme."

Daniel dropped his feet and handed over the other extra large cup of coffee before grabbing the bakery bag from the bedside table and getting up to move to join Jack on the bed. "There's a very nice bakery two blocks away. They were just putting out their first batch of quiche when I walked in."

Jack's warm whiskey eyes lit up and he rooted around the bag for this prize. "Excellent!" Taking a large bite, he chewed and studied Daniel thoughtfully. Swallowing, he commented, "Is the world ending?"

"What? No, I don't think so." Daniel glared at him with a confused frown, starting on his own quiche.

"It has to be, because the day _you_ are up before _moi_ in the morning must mean it's Armageddon." Jack mused while Daniel sighed and slouched. "Were pigs flying around out there? Are snowballs now able to survive in Hell?"

"Shut up." Daniel smacked Jack's bare leg where it peeked out of the covers. "I'd have woken you, but you were sleeping so soundly and looked so peaceful… You obviously needed the rest."

Jack smiled and crooked a finger at him. Daniel leaned down and over, and Jack slid his fingers through Daniel's short, dusky-blonde hair to the back of his skull, pulling him in for a very thorough good morning kiss. "Thank you. For that, and for breakfast." He murmured against his mate's lips.

"You're welcome." Daniel returned, pulling away and licking said lips distractedly.

"So why were you up so early, anyway? Didn't you sleep well?" Jack asked.

"Hmm? Oh no, I slept quite well. I don't know why." Daniel shrugged, going back to his coffee and quiche. "I had a weird dream last night, but it didn't, you know, disturb my rest or anything."

"Really? What was it about?" Jack raised an interested eyebrow, polishing off his quiche.

"Don't remember." Daniel shook his head. "I doubt it was significant, Jack. Probably something I ate."

"Yeah." Jack grinned, tossing the covers back and getting out of bed. "I'll shower and get dressed, then let's finish the packing so we can get home."

"And _un_pack." Daniel laughed, watching appreciatively as Jack presented him with an excellent view of his naked backside as the older man headed for the bathroom. Sighing wistfully (they wouldn't have time to fool around now) he got up and went out to the kitchen to finish that packing he'd left last night.

* * *

The next few days were a bit of a whirlwind. Monday morning arrived and Daniel wondered where in the world his leave went to. He wasn't complaining, though. Oh no… He didn't think that he'd ever have much to complain about in life ever again now that he had Jack O'Neill with him as he'd always wanted.

And speaking of his smart-ass General…

"Danny! You ready to go?" Jack called from outside by the brand new truck he'd gone out and picked less than two days ago. "You're gonna be late for your first day back!"

The linguist rolled his eyes and stuffed his feet in his shoes, not bothering to do them up, and pulled the front door closed behind himself. Juggling his laptop case (stuffed with more papers and a couple books as well as his laptop), a giant travel mug full of coffee, and his jacket, Daniel hurried to the truck's passenger door.

"I just wanted to make sure I had everything. I don't know which would be worse: me being late for the briefing, or me being unprepared for it." He said as they got in and Jack started up his new toy with a happy, gleeful grin.

"Well, I think we'll make it in time so that you're neither. Although…you're frequently late for briefings anyway, so I doubt Landry would notice." Jack replied, backing out of the drive and heading for the Mountain. Daniel gave him a mild scowl and decided his coffee was more interesting than the conversation.

Once there, Jack obtained new parking permits for his truck and parked in the reserved spot that still bore his name on the plate, even though he hadn't been a regular attendee to the base for two years. Landry admitted to holding onto it for Jack because he'd always had a sneaky suspicion that Jack would be back at the SGC someday. "_Besides_," Hank had drawled, "_There aren't any other high-ranking Generals or officers around here demanding their own parking spot._"

During the elevator rides down to their individual offices (Jack's new HWS office was now on Level 26, where some storage had been), Jack made Daniel promise to meet him in the Commissary at 1230 for lunch with SG1 – or he'd send Vala to drag him away from whatever he'd been doing. Then he got off on 26 (met by and eager Lt. Keeley with coffee and his schedule, much to Jack's consternation and Daniel's amusement). Daniel went back up to the locker rooms to change into uniform, then to his office to grab a few other things, then headed for the briefing room.

He was quite smug about the fact that he arrived promptly at 0800, smiling as he pulled up his usual seat at Landry's right.

"Dr. Jackson! Welcome back." Hank greeted him with a smile – which morphed into a grin when Vala threw her arms around him and squeezed.

"Hey, guys!" Daniel gave a little wave to the rest of his team and patted Vala on the arm and shoulder fondly. "Miss me?"

"Good to have you back, Jackson." Mitchell grinned. Teal'c quirked his mouth in what was a huge grin (for a Jaffa) and Sam smiled brilliantly.

"Alright, boys and girls, let's get this done quickly. We've all got lots of fun and excitement for the next few days, particularly you, Dr. Jackson." Landry called the briefing to order.

It only took a bit more than half an hour, during which SG1 caught Daniel up on their various projects on-base, the last two weeks of other missions that the other SG teams continued on, and what was coming up for new missions.

Once dismissed, Daniel went to his office/lab to begin the painstaking effort of playing catch up with his inbox and email. He had another briefing at 1030 with SG8, then nothing until lunch.

Of course, the distracted way he was pushing his food around on his plate was bound to be noticed by Jack.

"Something on your mind, Daniel?" The General nudged his mate in the side with an elbow. "You're playing with it."

Daniel sighed, giving his family an apologetic smile. "Just a little anxious, I guess. It's a big day."

"Oh!" Sam's eyes widened. "I can't believe I forgot! They're coming today, aren't they? Sarah and Steven?"

Daniel nodded.

Under the table and out of sight, Jack squeezed his partner's knee in reassurance. "It'll be fine. That Sarah is pretty tough from what I've seen. She'll be okay with being back here."

"I hope so. I don't want her to feel obligated, though." Daniel picked at his salad.

"What about the other one? Rayner." Mitchell asked, happily filling his face with enthusiasm. Teal'c was doing the same.

"I believe he will be quite humbled by what he will learn today. He seems to be a very insecure individual who believes his worth to be much greater than anyone is willing to credit him with." The big man said sagely. "He shows much jealousy of DanielJackson with his insecurity."

Daniel winced. "It's true, Teal'c. But don't let it fool you. He really is good at what he does, despite how we butt heads over everything. It was never my fault that Dr. Jordan was too blind to pay attention to someone other than me, but Steven would never admit that. It was easier to blame me." He dropped a hand to his lap and let Jack take it to twine their fingers together under the table. It was a real comfort Daniel savoured greedily.

"He'll get over it, Daniel. He has to, if he expects to get anywhere with the programme." Sam reasoned in her own attempt to soothe. "Grudges aren't tolerated well, especially here at the SGC."

"I know." Daniel managed a faint smile. "And I know I'm worrying over nothing, but…I guess it's because they are among the first of my colleagues from the past that I'll finally get to share all the things we've discovered with, and…"

"I'll be right here with you, Daniel." Vala promised, thumping him on the back. "And if he isn't suitably awed by our superior knowledge then I'll be happy to.."

"Thank you, Vala." Daniel hastily interrupted.

"We'll all be there." Mitchell added, catching his team's eyes. "After all, it's an awful long story you've got to tell, and you'll need some help, right? Who better than us?"

Jack sat back in his seat, very pleased with his kids. "I'll wander in at some point. I want to meet this guy."

Daniel shot him a warning glance at the predatory tone. "Thanks, guys. And you," he poked Jack in the bicep, "stop that! I can handle Steven."

"Oh, I know. I just want to make it clear that his personal vendettas won't be tolerated." Jack ignored the scowl on Daniel's face. "And that he needs to grow up."

"Jack…"

"Daniel."

"Don't start acting like an overprotective husband or you'll be living on-base for a long, long time."

Sam smothered a giggle, Vala laughed outright, and Cam just looked pained. Teal'c simply raised an eyebrow and said, "O'Neill. I believe you would be wise to heed DanielJackson's wishes in this regard."

"I can't help it! I'm an over protective, jealous bastard. He knew that." Jack tried really hard not to pout. It was undignified for a General to pout.

"Jack…" Daniel warned. "Promise me. You'll let me handle it."

"Yes, Daniel, I promise." Jack agreed with a roll of his eyes. Thankfully, Daniel seemed to realize that was the best he'd get from Jack, even heavily laced with exasperation. The linguist gave a grunt of acknowledgement and proceeded to chug the rest of his coffee, letting the subject drop.

* * *

Grabbing her luggage from the baggage carousel, Dr. Sarah Gardner – former host to Osiris – did her very best to ignore her travel companion's complaints about the flight from New York City. They'd only just arrived in Denver, and already Steven was getting on her nerves (what few she had left to spare, anyway).

In many ways she was looking forward to the new job. What little she remembered from her time as a host – despite the horror and nightmares – still intrigued the scholar in her enough to make her brave returning to the underground facility Daniel had called the SGC. She wanted to know _exactly_ what had happened to her so that she could finally put those months and her bad dreams behind her. Sarah also wanted to know what Daniel had really been doing all these years. She had a lot of guilt stored up over the way she treated him during those years as colleagues under Dr. Jordon, and for after that final disaster of a conference Daniel had given in a last-ditch effort to convince people he was on to something and not a crackpot. She hadn't even tried to keep in touch with him, and – much to her chagrin – she'd been among those who thought he'd died when no one heard a peep about him for several years. She'd been both surprised and relieved to see him at the funeral.

"You've got everything, Sarah?" Steven asked, regarding her questioningly, and bringing her back to the present.

"Oh, yes. Let's get out of here." Sarah picked up her carry-on bag and allowed Steven to lead the way.

As they exited the Baggage Claim and passed through the final security checkpoint, she spotted the uniformed USAF officers – three of them – waiting patiently for them. Not for the first time did she wonder if she was (as many of her peers would believe) selling out to the military.

"Stick out in a crowd, don't they?" Steven muttered quietly as they approached the officers. Sarah couldn't help but agree, though she shushed Steven and gave a polite, inquiring smile to their greeting party.

"Dr. Gardner, Dr. Rayner." The slightly shorter man in the front of the other two greeted them, holding out his hand first to Sarah, then Steven, to shake. "Welcome to Colorado. I'm Col. Paul Davis from General O'Neill's office. Both he and Dr. Jackson asked me to meet you here and escort you back to base."

"Pleasure to meet you, Col. Davis." Sarah returned the pleasantries for them both. Steven just nodded warily, but politely.

"Well, we have a bit of a drive, so we'd better head out. Oh," Davis smiled with his best diplomatic charm, "These two gentlemen will take care of your baggage. Airmen." He gave a nod and the other two men when from silent statues to mobile attendants. "If you'll follow me, there is a car waiting for us."

Sarah and Steven exchanged glances and allowed the Airmen to take their bags, then followed the Colonel out of the Arrivals area to the car park. While their bags were stowed in the trunk, Davis opened the back door to a small, sleek, and shiny limousine with USAF plates.

Once they were inside and seated, Davis signalled the driver to leave the airport. "Well!" He exclaimed, settling comfortably in his seat across from the two civilians. "In a couple more hours we'll be in the Springs and your trip will be done. I hope your flight was pleasant."

"Yes, thank you. I wasn't expecting to be flown First Class, though." Sarah replied. Davis nodded.

"That was Dr. Jackson's doing. All of this project is." Paul smiled wryly. "He felt quite strongly that you both deserve that treatment we would give honoured guests to the SGC. I agreed, by the way, and together we managed to convince Generals Landry and O'Neill that it was a good idea, too."

"And who are these Generals?" Steven asked. "We've been told virtually nothing. That man…Richard Woolsey? Yeah. He barely explained a thing. He just kept shoving papers and stuff in front of us to sign and fingerprint."

Davis stared in shock. "He didn't? I…oh dear." He slumped and rubbed a hand over his face. "He was _supposed_ to give you a bare-bones briefing on the programme and its objectives, mandates, and such." Davis frowned to himself. "Unless Daniel asked him not to. He's very eager to share everything with you. Um, I do apologize for our lack of explanation, though. At this point, it's probably best if I just leave the entire story to Dr. Jackson."

Steven shrugged, though not very happy at the continued darkness they were being left in. "It's waited this long. What's another couple of hours?"

"Can you tell us who the Generals are?" Sarah asked. "I'm afraid I'm not very familiar with military command structures – not modern ones, at least."

"Ah. It's pretty simple. You'll catch on quickly, though you won't be working directly with the military itself in quite the same way Dr. Jackson does, as your team is a civilian one." Paul smiled. "Major General Hank Landry is the Commanding Officer for the SGC. Actually the entire mountain complex. Basically, he's the head honcho for everyone there. Except for Major General Jack O'Neill, who heads Homeworld Security, which runs the entire programme for the US and in cooperation with the IOA – the International Oversight Advisory. The IOA is an international body of contributing member countries that participate and invest in the programme." He paused to let that sink in. "I work primarily out of General O'Neill's office, which recently moved to the Mountain from Washington D.C. and the Pentagon. I do occasionally get loaned out to the SGC, though. Oh! And General O'Neill – when he was a Colonel four years ago – was SG1's CO. That's Daniel's team."

"I see." Sarah blinked, processing all that information. Paul gave them his best sympathetic smile, trying to be reassuring.

"Don't worry. Everything will be made clear, and it will all make a whole lot more sense. Dr. Jackson is very good at that."

Steven huffed in annoyance, turning his head to stare out the window at the passing scenery rather than listen to yet _more_ people sing Daniel's praises. Sarah spared him a concerned glance, but thought it best not to say anything at that moment. It would only make things more difficult and awkward.

The rest of the ride to the Springs and Cheyenne Mountain, Davis smoothly kept topics of conversation to the 'getting to know you' variety – where they went to university, their main fields of study and expertise, where they were from originally, places they'd travelled…even if Davis actually knew all this already from their files. Sarah found Davis to be a very nice man, quite intelligent and humorous, and with a certain amount of charm that she wouldn't have expected from any military person. Even Steven had warmed to the USAF officer somewhat by the time they arrived at the base.

After the driver got them through the gate security, they pulled up to the main entrance of the complex located deep within the mountain itself just before the road turned into the huge underground parking lot and garage. Davis opened his briefcase and pulled out two manila envelopes, handing one to each of them.

"Take out the security badges inside and clip them somewhere visible. You'll be receiving your official card keys and badges later. For now you're visitors and you'll have restricted access to most areas of the complex." Davis waited until they'd complied and nodded, moving to the door as it was opened by their driver. "Let's go."

"Our luggage?" Sarah asked as she accepted his gentlemanly assistance out of the limo.

"It will be taken care of." Davis assured, nodding briefly at the Airmen – who seemed to already know what to do and where to go without any further instruction. "So, if you're ready…follow me."

Two security checkpoints and one elevator ride later, they stepped out onto Level 11, where they were met by a familiar face.

"Hey, Daniel!" Davis greeted the linguist warmly, a grin on his face. They shook hands. "I promised I'd get them here safe and sound, and here they are."

"Thanks, Paul. I'm sorry Jack roped you into it, but at the same time I'm glad it was you." Daniel gave a wry grin, faintly apologetic. "So thanks."

Davis' grin widened. "It was no trouble, my friend. They were orders I was happy to carry out."

"Daniel." Sarah stepped forward to greet her old friend and colleague, smiling and giving him a brief hug. "It's good to see you."

"You, too. Both of you." Daniel smiled back, doing his best ot keep it warm and neutral, if not welcoming, when he faced Steven. "I'm glad you're here. Was your trip okay, Steven?"

"It was fine." Steven replied, a bit shortly but still polite enough. Daniel sighed and winced internally. He was really hoping this would finally allow them to put their past differences aside if not behind them completely.

"Okay. Well!" Daniel waved at Paul to lead the way. "Shall we? We've got one more elevator ride to get to the briefing room. The rest of my team is probably waiting for us."

Sarah walked the halls beside him, looking around with interest and curiosity. Even Steven seemed to be unable to hide his curiosity at their surroundings. But what was truly interesting was how different Daniel seemed here, in this place. He was very much at home, and made his way through the halls with a comfort and familiarity he'd never shown anywhere except (perhaps) Egypt. There was a confidence about him now, too. Something she _had_ noticed in New York, but hadn't truly registered.

And as they passed personnel and soldiers, Daniel seemed to be very at ease and familiar with all of them. Some he greeted aloud and by name, others he exchanged smiles and nods and small waves with. Occasionally someone would stop and ask a quick question, and Daniel would patiently listen, then send them on their way with an answer or direction and a smile. It was blatantly obvious that this place was Daniel's domain, and that he was well-liked and respected here. More…he was _accepted_ as she'd never seen him be. Valued.

A surreptitious glance at Steven (and the confused scowl he wore) told Sarah he'd noticed it, too. She only hoped he would grow up and not cause trouble over his jealousy of Daniel.

"So are we allowed to ask what this place is?" Steven asked as they stood waiting for the next elevator.

"Of course." Daniel responded, looking a tad puzzled. "You have clearance, now."

"We haven't been told anything yet, Daniel." Sarah informed him quietly, laying her hand on his arm. "We've only signed a forest's worth of paperwork, and been told that we'll be heading an international team that will handle various projects around the world. But other than things pertaining to that…"

He looked shocked for a moment, then angry – a brief cloud of it passing over Daniel's features before morphing into a more familiar, deeply apologetic expression. "I'm so sorry. I thought the IOA would be briefing you on the basics before you arrived here for the more in-depth courses you'll need to take before you can head off on your first dig assignment."

Davis had a dark-look of his own. "So you didn't tell Woolsey not to tell them? I'll mention his mistake to the appropriate parties, Daniel."

"Why bother?" Daniel made a face, stepping into the elevator after the others and pushing the button for Level 27. "It won't make a difference. No matter how much we dislike each other, the guy is good at his bureaucratic-cum-diplomatic job. And there are far worse choices of people we could be dealing with."

"True. Still," Davis shrugged. "This is a lapse in judgment that should be noted. It will set back their training, and that's time of _yours_ that can be ill-afforded to waste, Daniel."

Daniel didn't like it (since _he_ didn't consider it time wasted) but he nodded, rubbing at the bridge of his nose in annoyance. "If you say so, Paul. To answer your question, Steven, the complex is a military base that's been set up inside a former missile silo. The levels nearer the surface are the parts that are mostly public knowledge – containing operations for NORAD and even NASA. The lower levels, however, are top-secret, and contain the main centre of operations for the entire programme."

"I see." Steven said, though he clearly didn't.

"It's…" Daniel paused, mouth quirking wryly, "It's a very long story, beginning in the late 1920's in Giza." The elevator opened up, and they filed out.

"I'm going to report in to the Generals, Daniel. I'm sure one or both will be joining you all in the briefing room eventually." Davis went off down one hallway, and Daniel led Steven and Sarah down another.

"This programme of yours has been around for that long?" Sarah wondered, amazed.

"No, actually. Research and study only truly began just around the time WWII broke out. The…artefacts were discovered on a dig in the Giza plateau in 1928." Daniel paused just outside a closed door, his hand on the knob. "Look, before we go in there and we turn your realities upside-down and inside out, I want to warn you."

"Of what?" Steven huffed. "We aren't stupid, nor are we children."

Daniel sighed, meeting the other man's belligerent gaze solidly. "I'm not kidding, Steven. Everything you think you know as fact, all the history we've come to accept and the possibilities that most of humanity on this planet would consign to the realm of science fiction and fantasy are going to change for you. You won't believe it at first, but it won't matter because reality is truly stranger than fiction. Your life is about to change, and even you have to know that once you've learned something, you can't just 'un-know' it again if you don't like what it is. So…I guess I'm saying that this is your last chance to get out and go back to life as you know it." His serious, carefully neutral blue eyes flicked from Steven to Sarah. "That's to both of you, Sarah."

She'd made up her mind long ago. "No, I'm already too far in to leave now, Daniel." She shook her strawberry blonde curls slowly. "I'm staying."

Steven frowned, looking unsettled. "That's a bit over-the-top dramatic, Daniel, even for you."

Daniel frowned, too, arms folding in that unconscious self-hug of his. "I'm not being overly dramatic. I'm as serious as a heart-attack. You want the truth Steven? I'm terrified. You and Sarah are of the very few people I had any real connection to before I was recruited to the programme. We were friends once. Colleagues, too, with mutual respect for our abilities in our fields. In my entire life, I haven't had many people I've been able to get close to, whom I've trusted enough to allow them close. And in the time I've been here…" Daniel had to top, swallowing hard at the memories of all the friends and colleagues he'd lost over the years. "I've come to be part of something important, and I've learned to trust, learned that time is to short for us to hold everyone at bay. I have seen so many lives lost…just because they know about what goes on here. It scares me, Steven, that I might have to watch you or Sarah be hurt or die because you're a part of it now." Daniel leaned against the wall by the door, eyes haunted. "Because this knowledge is dangerous. What we do here is dangerous. And while you won't be doing what I do, or leaving the planet to do your job, the risks are still there. Sarah…may not remember much, but she's already been exposed to one of, gods, a _million_ possibilities for harm. She's been lucky. I've seen more people not survive what she has than do survive. All of it scares me as much as it thrills me to be finally able to share it all with you."

Steven stared at Daniel for a long, tense moment, then sighed heavily. "Damn it, Daniel! After you say all that you really expect me to turn around and run away for fear of something unknown? How could I do that? As a scholar of any kind?"

Sarah gripped Steven's arm, her eyes on Daniel. "He's committed, Daniel. As am I. And while we can't be expected to predict the future, nor make promises that we may not be able to keep, we can say that you've warned us and we've made our choice."

A faint smile kicked up Daniel's mouth at the corners, though his eyes were old – far, far older than his age. "Alright. I'm glad you understand that, because its far more important than you'll ever know." He straightened and turned, reaching for the door knob. "So…come on in, get comfortable, and allow us to blow your minds."

* * *

**(1)** "_Te amo, Daniel. Amorem maxium me es…amorem solum me es! Mei spiritus conjugii, Daniel…_" = Latin, "_I love you, Daniel. You are my greatest love…my only love! My soulmate, Daniel…_" I just found a use for all my Latin classes. Yay, me. I didn't try to make it "Ancient," though. I'm not that ambitious.


	5. Part V

_I forgot to add this the last two parts: big thanks to Cryysis for the betas! You rock for putting up with me! And beta kudos for this part go to Chickigirl, my main beta, and a couple others who looked it over but didn't want credit. Tough! You're getting it! LOL Thanks again!_

**~ Part V ~**

**Chapter I**

Surprisingly, Daniel found only one of his team members waiting in the briefing room. Teal'c sat at the table – a large glass of water at his elbow – flipping through an open file folder full of papers.

"DanielJackson." The Jaffa greeted him warmly, looking up as Daniel and his colleagues entered. Teal'c pushed his chair back and rose, offering a regal half-bow to Sarah and Steven. "Dr. Gardner, Dr. Rayner. It is my pleasure to greet you."

"This is Teal'c." Daniel introduced his friend. "He is an old friend and member of my team."

"Hello, again, Teal'c." Sarah shook his hand lightly.

"Teal'c? I thought his name was...Mark? No, Murray." Steven frowned, looking from the large man to Daniel. "And what sort of name is that anyway?"

"Uh...yes. 'Murray' is his public name – for outside the programme." Daniel explained hastily, though Teal'c didn't seem to be taking offence at Steven's rudeness. "I'll explain soon, Steven. Just...go ahead and help yourselves to the coffee and snacks, and have a seat there." He gestured at the opposite end of the table where two envelopes lay waiting. "The others will be here soon and we can get started."

Sarah pulled Steven in the direction of the coffee, and Daniel sighed in relief at the respite.

"Are you well, DanielJackson?"

"I'm fine. This is very nerve-wracking for me, that's all." Daniel nodded absently. He looked toward Landry's office and spotted the General talking to Sam and Mitchell at his desk. "Where's Vala, and what's that all about?"

"I do not know where ValaMalDoran may be, but I do not believe she will forget this briefing as she knows how important it is to you." Teal'c responded with a small smile. "And I believe ColonelMitchell and ColonelCarter are discussing the upcoming annual evaluations with GeneralLandry."

"Ah. Oh!" Daniel made a face. "Is it time for those already? Great." He hated them – not their purpose, but the amount of extra time that the evaluations required out of his already exhausting schedule.

"Is O'Neill joining us?" Teal'c inquired.

"I don't know." The linguist shrugged, taking off his glasses and using one corner of his BDU shirt to clean them. "Probably. Whenever he gets the chance to leave his office."

"Indeed."

Landry, Carter, and Mitchell came out of the General's office just then, and Daniel greeted them cheerfully before introducing them all formally to Steven and Sarah. As the initial greetings ended, Vala finally came hustling up the stairs from the control room below.

"Hello, everyone!" She smiled at the room, using her charm unabashedly. "I hope I'm not late."

"You're just in time." General Landry drawled, pointing at the empty seats. "Have a seat people, and let's get started. Dr. Jackson, I won't be remaining for the entire briefing. After all, I'm quite sure you and SG1 can handle it."

"Yes, sir." Daniel agreed, amused. "And Jack will show up eventually. We'll be fine." He left the seat at the General's right open (for Jack) and took up the next chair. Vala plopped down next to him, while Mitchell, Sam, and Teal'c took up their seats on Landry's left.

"Now," Landry began, folding his hands on the table before him and looking down it to Sarah and Steven. "You both are here for a very specific new team that Dr. Jackson has wisely proposed to create. However, unlike most SG teams, you won't be made to go through any of the military field training that we normally require of new civilian recruits. This is due to the fact that you will not be going on off-world missions, and should your team be in any hostile areas on our own planet, you will be provided a contingent of Marines from the programme as bodyguards. Don't worry, though!" Landry smiled genially. "It isn't likely that you'll be dealing with that anytime soon."

Sarah nodded, looking rather relieved. Steven appeared relieved, also, but at the same time he looked incredulous and confused.

"General, sir, I regret to inform you that Woolsey neglected to give them a basic debriefing on...well, everything. I'm afraid I have to start at the very beginning." Daniel's eyebrows furrowed deeply and he gave Landry an apologetic grimace.

The General blinked, stunned. "That man's incompetence never ceases to drive me crazy."

"Daniel, can't your Jack fire that little weasel of a man? He is very vexing." Vala growled, well-manicured fingernails tapping out an angry beat on the table.

"Unfortunately, no. Woolsey is appointed to the IOA by the President. We can complain, though." Landry sighed. "Very well. I guess I'll leave the rest up to you, SG1. I have a meeting in twenty minutes to prepare for." He glanced at Mitchell and Sam as he stood. "Watch the shop while I'm gone. I'll be on board _Odyssey_ if there's an emergency."

"Yes, sir!" Both rose and saluted, then sat again when Landry walked out.

Daniel picked up the remote control for the projection system. "Vala, would you get the lights please?" Happy to help, the dark-haired woman bounced over to the panel and flicked the lights off while Daniel brought the projector online and lowered the screen.

"Okay, so...I guess I get to start off with the history of the programme. The more detailed stuff – like the new facts and results we've discovered so far over the course of the last decade or so – will come later when you start your basic training courses this week." Daniel brought up the first screen, then looked down the table at Sarah and Steven.

"As I mentioned before, in 1928 there was a dig on the Giza Plateau. It was led by an archaeologist named Dr. Langford." Daniel gestured at the screen, where a picture of that dig and one of Dr. Langford sat side-by-side in black and white. Standing beside the man was a pretty young girl – Catherine. "It was actually a lucrative dig – not including the artefacts that would later be the most important ones ever found. Ah...there were three major finds there, and they were incredible and mysterious enough to make everything else pale in comparison.

"One of these was what appeared to be fossilized remains of completely unknown origin." Daniel went to the next screen, where a picture of the fossilized Jaffa that was found with the Gate was featured.

"Horus Guard." Mitchell guessed. "Huh." He couldn't remember seeing the picture before.

"Yeah. We know that now, but then no one had a clue." Sam said.

"It intrigued them enough to keep digging, anyway." Daniel nodded, going to the next screen, this time the cover stones Catherine had recruited him to translate. "If they hadn't, Dr. Langford would not have found these cover stones nor what lay beneath." He zoomed in on the picture. "These stones and what they hid were even more mysterious and incredible. For a few years, Dr. Langford and his colleagues studied the artefacts but were unable to decipher much of the writings and symbols. But when Hitler started making moves on Czechoslovakia and Austria, and finally Poland, Dr. Langford packed his discoveries up and shipped them to the USA for safety and further study. 1939, I believe it was.

"Despite the fact that they couldn't really understand what the cover stones said or what the strange symbols were, they did manage _something_ – completely out of pure luck." Daniel paused, sharing a look with Sam and Teal'c, wishing Jack were there, too, as he remembered finding out about the 1940s experiments – the ones that eventually sent Ernest Littlefield to another planet where he was trapped for 50-odd years. Alone. "You see, under the cover stones, they found a giant ring made of some unknown material. It was a device of some kind, and on it were symbols that were the same as the ones on the stones."

"What do you mean 'a device?'" Steven asked. "That describes a lot of things. The Egyptians didn't use much mechanical technology, not on the scale that those stones suggest."

"You'd be surprised." Sam shook her head.

Daniel quirked a tiny smile. "To be fair, you're right. This device was not something the Egyptians – or any other human civilization on Earth at the time – could ever have created. But I'll get back to it in a moment. Dr. Langford and his people finally made the device work, as I said, on a complete fluke. A man on Dr. Langford's team, Dr. Ernest Littlefield...used the device. However, because they had no idea what it really was or what it did, when Dr. Littlefield disappeared, the project was shut down and research halted immediately. They deemed the device too dangerous and unknown to continue to risk lives to study it."

Daniel moved to the next slide, where a picture of Catherine was featured. "In the late 1960s," he coughed at the memory of their trip back in time, while Sam and Teal'c were sharing amused looks and Mitchell was grinning (he'd finally gotten the tale out of his team one night), "Dr. Langford's daughter, Catherine, took up where her father left off when he died. For many years, she worked to try and decipher the symbols, and fought with several federal administrations to revive the project and to continue the funding for it. It wasn't until the...early '90s, Sam?" She nodded. "Yes, early '90s that enough progress was made that they nearly reached the same point that her father had reached decades earlier. Sam, here, was part of that project team, though most of her work was done in Washington." Daniel paused thoughtfully. "Oh, and I should mention all the work her father's team had done was classified and buried away for years. Catherine didn't know about the successful use of the device, as her father never told her." Daniel frowned, almost to himself, and his arms came up in his unconscious self-hug. He glanced at Sam for help, as he'd reached the parts he'd been dreading.

He really wished Jack were there for so many different reasons.

Sam rose and moved around the table, placing a hand on her little brother's shoulder and squeezing before plucking the remote for the projector from his hand. "Sit. I've got it." Daniel sank into his chair gratefully.

"Catherine," Sam started, "had two teams working on the device; one was here in the Mountain, the other was in D.C. Most of us who were on the hard science-end of things were in D.C. The rest – archaeologists, linguists, etc. – were here working on the cover stones." She shot Daniel a fond grin. "All together we were able to get quite far, actually – which is a miracle considering the translations we had were apparently incredibly _off_."

"Budge." Daniel cursed the name with a scowl. Vala patted his hand soothingly, by now having learned the evils of the famous Egyptian translator's work. He missed the startled blinks on Sarah's and Steven's faces at his disdain of an accepted source.

"Yes, well, we didn't know better." Sam's grin widened. "Now we do. Anyway...Catherine got frustrated with the lack of progress at one point. We'd hit a wall that couldn't seem to be overcome no matter what any of us tried to do." Sam let her gaze meet everyone at the table, ending with and holding Daniel's as her expression softened. She was about to take her first step into making up for all her perceived competition with him over the years, and to erasing the hostility and jealousy she'd harboured because of it. She only hoped he would understand and forgive her. "We had been working on the problem for two years, and during that time, Catherine had – of course – been keeping an eye on whatever was going on in the academic community. She'd followed the promising career of a young scholar. He hadn't even hit thirty yet, and already he had three doctoral degrees. He spoke and understood a rather phenomenal amount of languages. And he was coming up with some theories and ideas all on his own that fell in line with our research – without any knowledge of the project on his part. Catherine watched him closely, and when academia finally turned its back on him, she scooped him up. She recognized his brilliance and the unique way of thinking that formulated his wild ideas.

"Daniel was recruited to the programme not half an hour after that last lecture he gave." Sam clicked the remote and brought up Daniel's old ID picture and stats. "Catherine welcomed him with open arms...and he didn't disappoint." She drew herself up to attention, catching Daniel's blue, blue eyes with her own lighter version. "Daniel did what we could not in _two years_. Daniel did it in two _weeks_. And to make it more impressive, all he saw were the cover stones. Not the fossil remains, nor the device. He re-translated the script on the stones we'd already attempted to translate, then proceeded to figure out what the strange, indecipherable symbols actually were and what the whole thing meant."

"Aww, now, Sam...Catherine and/or you would have done the same thing eventually." Daniel protested, blushing wildly even after all these years. "She was no fool, and you...you're the 'National treasure', remember?" He threw out the descriptor Jack had once pinned her with.

Sam smiled briefly, but it was a hard smile, and one that held a wealth of self-depreciation. "And _you_ know, Daniel Jackson, that it would have been too late. You've _seen_ such probabilities."

"The quantum mirror from P3R-233." Teal'c threw his two cents in with a sage expression. Daniel's face flew through a myriad of emotions, but finally he sighed in defeat. There was no arguing with the stoic Jaffa, after all. Unless you were Jack O'Neill...

"Okay, so...Daniel does some translating and the result is that you get your device to work." Steven summarized. Sam nodded. "Well, that's all well and good, but what the hell is it? What was so damn special about it that the Air Force and the government make it as top secret as can possibly exist?"

Daniel studied his lap for a brief moment then got up, taking the remote from Sam. He wasn't surprised at the lack of reaction from his old peers. They both knew and respected his skill with languages, and they were used to his intuitive, correct leaps of translation. Sarah's problem with him had always been his lack of ambition, while Steven's hadn't been Daniel's talents but the way he used them by coming up with his outrageous theories and insisting on their truth to the detriment of his career and those around him. And of course, Steven hadn't liked being second best to Daniel, always in his shadow. But he'd never once denied Daniel's skill – he just insisted his own were as worthy.

"You'll recall my theories." Daniel began, in answer to the other man's question. Sarah, he could see, was already putting pieces of the puzzle together for herself, thanks to the few scattered memories she held from her time as Osiris' host. "I believed that the Pyramids were far older than was currently accepted, and I believed I could prove it because I had found evidence through several old dialects that the scripts the Egyptians and other ancient cultures used were actually attributed to what had to be a much older language..."

"Yes, yes, get to the point." Steven waved that aside impatiently. Frowning, Daniel leaned forward, hands bracing his weight on the table.

"I have never actually attributed the Pyramids or any other of my theories to aliens, Steven. That was actually some malicious additions by some of my worst critics, additions that I could never shake no matter what I tried to say. I eventually stopped trying." Daniel walked slowly around the table toward the wall where the switch was located that would raise the blast shield over the window to the Gate room below. "Irony of all ironies, even without the aliens, I was right. _With_ the aliens, I was even _more_ right."

"What?" Now Steven was looking at him like he was insane.

"The fossil remains that were found are the remains of a man from a race of humans that were taken from our world...a _really_ long time ago." Mitchell decided it was time to help out, not liking how this guy was treating Daniel. "They were genetically altered to serve both as elite armies and...uh, incubators for the young of the race who came here." He shot an apologetic glance at Teal'c. "No offence, Teal'c."

"None taken, ColonelMitchell, as that is essentially what we once were."

Steven stared at Teal'c. "What?" he said again, faintly.

"They're called Jaffa. Teal'c here, is one of them. He doesn't serve those aliens anymore, though." Mitchell added, clapping the warrior on the shoulder.

"Indeed. Not in any capacity."

"The race of beings that did this are called Goa'uld. They're a parasitical creature that use humans as hosts to survive. They are highly intelligent, and egomaniacal, arrogant, selfish, greedy little snakes." Cam made a face. "They're also scavengers; none of the technology or knowledge they have was originally their own. They take what is useful to them from other races – usually those they take as hosts – and they may or may not modify it to their own ends."

"The Goa'uld, you see," Daniel interjected, "came here to Earth several millennia ago. They found primitive man here, found us to be easily controlled and easily maintained and so took hundreds of thousands away with them. Some were made hosts, others were changed to become Jaffa, and the rest were used as slaves. Humans are _all over_ this galaxy, Steven, brought to other planets by the Goa'uld who set themselves up as gods." Daniel brought up another screen that showed the original script and his own translations of it from the cover stones. Sam pulled out the little device her father and Selmac had left with her (the one that projected a holographic 'family tree' of the System Lords) and pushed it toward the middle of the table after turning it on. Daniel gestured at it. "Sam's father became a liaison between us and a race called the Tok'ra. He gave us this handy little thing." He smiled inwardly at the fascination on both scholars' faces (though Sarah looked a little pale). "It's the known Pantheon of the Goa'uld System Lords. You may notice that they're also the Egyptian Pantheon. The Goa'uld are, indeed, the basis for many Earth-based pantheons – or at least they usurped those deities and took on their identities for themselves. We might never know for sure which is true."

"Which ones?" Sarah asked, looking away from the hologram with a pinched expression. Her memories were haunting her, but she was bravely moving past them.

"That we've encountered...Egyptian, Babylonian or Sumerian, Greek, Celtic, Hindu, Chinese, Japanese, Mayan or Aztec..." Daniel shrugged. "I doubt that every deity from these cultures was actually a Goa'uld. Some may have been Tok'ra. Others could well have been just as we know them to be – myths and legends and religious figures. We do know that the Norse gods are of another race, but...that's another story." Daniel smiled, albeit sadly.

"The Goa'uld transported humans from Earth in two ways – by ship and by means of the device found in Giza under the cover stones." Sam said, turning off the hologram. "The device is capable of utilizing massive amounts of energy to create and maintain a stable wormhole with another device on the other end. Matter enters the wormhole, is de-materialized, transported, and re-materialized by the receiving device. In less than four seconds, people and objects can be transported light years away to other planets – even other galaxies."

There was a short pause, where Daniel and Sam let all the information sink in.

"So...what happened to me..." Sarah wondered quietly, "That was one of these Goa'uld?"

"Yes." Daniel gave her a sympathetic, understanding head bob. "It was Osiris in that canopic jar. The other jar contained Isis, but the seal had broken long, long ago and that symbiote died."

"Okay, whoa, whoa, whoa! Hold it, Jackson." Steven glared at him, pushing back in his chair from the table. "You're not seriously expecting us to _believe_ such a crazy, ridiculous tale! Aliens? Parasites that are actually the ancient gods of mythology? Wormholes and travel to other planets?" His voice raised with each incredulous statement. "Come on!"

"Steven..." Sarah turned, trying to placate him.

"It's all true, Steven. I know how it sounds. Believe me...I get that it's pretty fantastic sci-fi show material." Daniel sighed, pushing his glasses up his nose and pinching at the bridge to attempt to get rid of the on-coming headache he felt. "But it's true, nonetheless. I've been living it for over eleven years. Teal'c and Vala...have lived it their entire lives."

"And really, man, do you think the governments of several nations, as well as the US military, would _ever_ run something like this at such a huge expense if it _wasn't_ completely the truth?" Mitchell pointed out obligingly.

"Look, you'll get the full, in-depth coverage of everything over the next month or so, Steven." Daniel crossed his arms over his chest. "It's a lot to take in, and you will have to start looking at a lot of things differently, but I know you can do that, and I know you'll see how important it is."

"I don't believe this. It's insane!" Steven reiterated, desperately.

"They're not lying or making it up." Sarah reached out, attempting to settle him, but he turned on her next.

"You _believe_ this...this...fairytale? No. Of _course_, you do." Steven scoffed with disdain. "You always took his side, his view. Always believed in how _brilliant_ and _innovative_ his ideas were. The only smart thing you did was dropping him before he ruined _your_ career the way he has his own!"

Sarah recoiled as if she'd been slapped, turning pale as porcelain.

"And yet you're allowing him to create this elaborate farce and spin this insane fantasy world without question!" Steven whirled on Daniel once again, not noticing the dark, foreboding expression currently hardening the face of the SGC's premiere linguist. "You had talent, Daniel. Skill. You threw it all away on those asinine notions of yours. That's what this is _really_ about, isn't it? You're trying to get back what you threw away. Well, I won't help you! And I won't let you do this to Sarah, either!"

Furious in a way Daniel hadn't felt since the last time he'd been in the presence of the Others as they sat back and let Oma Desala take on Anubis alone for all eternity, he leaned over the table with both hands flat on the table top, bracing his weight, as he gave Steven the full, blue-fired glare that he normally reserved for the Goa'uld and Priors. Rather than yelling back, however, his voice was low and precise.

"This has never been about me or my career, nor about you, or Sarah, or any of your past issues with me. That you would accuse me of using Sarah or yourself to 'gain back' my career is both laughable and insulting."

"Besides which, our work is _classified_ and Daniel can't use _any_ of what he's learned outside of the programme." Sam added in a tight voice. "He can't get any recognition for his achievements from his peers!"

Daniel held up a hand, demanding silence. Sam sat back, clearly wishing to say more, but obliged. "I thought better of you Steven. I thought you were capable of handling the truth, and that once you knew you would be a valuable asset to the programme. I also thought your scholarly curiosity was stronger than your jealous animosity toward me, but I see I was wrong on all counts. Then again, you don't know _me_ any better, so I suppose I can't say much. You need to grow up, Steven Rayner, and stop being an ass. Personally, it's embarrassing and professionally it's very unattractive.

"There is a war on, Steven. A dire one. We are barely staying ahead of the bad guys this time. I'm needed to fight that war, and I don't have time to waste babysitting your ego and coddling your temper tantrums. The world as you knew it is gone, Steven." Daniel stood straight, his expression hard and unforgiving. "You're in _my_ world now. And here, attitude like yours doesn't survive a week."

With that, Daniel strode from the room in long, angry steps that didn't bode well for anyone who got in his way.

Vala turned her own blue glare of death on the sputtering Steven as she hopped up from her seat. "I suggest you stay away from my Daniel for a _very_ long time. He does not deserve to be hurt like this, and if you're too stupid to understand the gifts he was trying to give you, then you had better stay away from _me_, also." To her team, Vala said, "I'll go after him," before hurrying out the door at Mitchell's wave and nod.

Teal'c, ever silent, simply rose from his chair, gave Steven a good long stare of disapproval, then walked calmly out without a word. Sam and Mitchell exchanged glances and looked down the table at Steven and Sarah – who looked near to tears with distress and uncertainty.

"Well, this will be a good time for a break." Mitchell drawled in a deceptively lazy way. "I think you two could use a moment. Some time to think things through and see if you can't gain a little perspective on the situation."

Before anyone could speak up, an aggravated, "What the hell? For cryin' out loud!" came from the open door of the briefing room. Both officers got to their feet as Jack stalked into the room with an expression of equal parts annoyance, concern, anger, and confusion.

"Sir." Carter greeted him, at the same moment as Cam's, "General!"

"Carter. Mitchell." Jack swept the room at a glance, raising an eyebrow at the two scholars sitting at the far end of the table. He then looked back at his officers. "So, kids...someone want to tell me why I was very nearly mowed down in the hall just now by one _very_ pissed off Dr. Jackson? And then again by Ms. MalDoran? Neither of whom would stop to give me the time of day?"

Sam sighed. "There was...an altercation, sir, between Daniel and Dr. Rayner."

"We've called an indefinite break to the briefing until cooler heads prevail." Cam added. "I was just about to call for someone to escort the Doctors, here, to their quarters so they can rest and...think upon the error of their ways."

Steven opened his mouth to say something that would no doubt be caustic in reply but Sarah hissed his name angrily and her hand clamped down on his forearm. Hard. She then spoke for them both.

"Thank you, Colonel. I appreciate it."

Jack eyed the exchange then nodded when Mitchell looked to him for permission and dismissal. "Carter...walk and talk."

"Yes, sir." Relieved, she followed him out the door and through the halls toward his office. In short form, she told him what happened.

* * *

Jack rubbed a hand over his face in consternation and dropped down into his chair at his desk, gesturing for Cater to take one of the visitor seats. "Well joy. Why does shit like this always hit the fan and land on Daniel's head? I don't understand how this Rayman guy can hold such a stupid grudge."

"It's..." Sam hesitated, trying to explain, "It's professional jealousy that turned personal, sir. For scholars of any kind, professional rivalries – and jealousies – come with the territory. Most, however, are never taken to a personal level as Steven Rayner obviously has done with Daniel." She sighed deeply, worrying about Daniel. "And I suspect that what makes it worse is – and I'm just speculating – that Rayner is jealous more because of Sarah than of Daniel's career and talents."

Jack frowned. "Huh?"

"Sarah is an attractive, intelligent woman. But to Steven, she's always looked at Daniel instead of him – in both professional and personal areas. He is probably seeing all this as just another way he's going to lose out to Daniel, and he's snapping at him because of it."

"Ah." Jack scowled, unhappy. "Well he can just chill for a while, because he won't get away with that load of crap around here. Besides which, Daniel's spoken for. He has no interest in that Sarah woman outside of work stuff."

Sam had to smile at the growled possessiveness. "We know that, sir, but Steven doesn't. And you can't tell him why." She felt obliged to remind him.

"Right. I knew that." Jack clamped down on the urge to run to Rayner's quarters and declare his ownership of Daniel – which was both juvenile and caveman all at once. "So you think Rayman thinks he's fighting Daniel for Sarah, and he's using this new job as a forum for it? Or at least as an excuse?"

"Yep." Carter nodded.

"What is this place coming to? I'm back one day and already it's turning into a soap opera!" It sounded like a complaint, but Jack's pleased, smug smile said otherwise.

"Glad to be back, sir?" Carter snickered lightly.

"Hell, yes! Though I should go find my angry archaeologist and calm him down." Jack rose from his desk, giving a Sam a questioning eye. "You're house-sitting for Landry?"

"If you mean watching over the SGC while he's aboard _Odyssey_ for his meeting...yes, sir." Carter followed the General out of his office.

"Good. Keeley!" Jack bellowed. The Lieutenant popped her head out the small office she occupied.

"Sir?"

"I've got my pager if you need me." He pulled it out and waggled it at her. "I'll be somewhere around the mountain – but try not to need me."

Nodding her understanding, Keeley saluted. "Yes, sir." She watched him trot off down the hall in puzzlement, then suddenly exclaimed, "Oh! I don't _have_ your pager number!"

Sam smiled ruefully and took pity on the young woman. "I do, Lieutenant. Do you have a pen and a post-it note?"

* * *

Jack made short work of checking all Daniel's usual hiding places (his lab, Carter's lab, _all_ the labs, the base library and archives, the commissary, his on-base quarters, _Vala's_ quarters, Teal'c's quarters, Mitchell's quarters, the gym & training room, and even the firing range) but still couldn't pin the man down. Until a helpful Dr. Lee bumped into him on the way back to Daniel's lab.

"Oh! I'm so very sorry, General O'Neill." The flustered Lee apologized quickly. "I didn't see you. Oh, and hey! Welcome back, sir."

"Dr. Lee." Jack patted the scientist on the shoulder. "Thanks. It's good to be back. Have you seen Daniel?"

"Dr. Jackson? Why yes, as a matter of fact...about twenty minutes ago in the elevator. He seemed very annoyed and angry, and Ms. MalDoran wasn't looking very pleased either." Lee looked at Jack in concern. "I thought there was a briefing today for the new Earth-side team leaders?"

"Yes." Was all Jack said. "Did he say where he was going?"

Bill scratched his head thoughtfully, juggling his files and coffee mug. "Well, no, not specifically. Daniel muttered something about needing fresh air and sunshine, but..."

"Ah." Jack nodded, already heading for the elevator. "Thanks!"

"Sure..." Bill answered, bemusedly.

The guards at both checkpoints on the way up to the surface confirmed that Daniel and Vala had passed through (but not checked out). Satisfied, Jack made the short hike a little farther up the mountain on a little-used footpath until he reached a small clearing in the trees. There he found the two in an area that looked out over the Springs way down below at the base of the Mountain.

Vala was seated on a fallen, moss-covered log, posture perfect, while she silently watched Daniel pace back and forth next to her. He was in full rant, with arms and hands waving about expressively. He was not, however, speaking English – instead spewing his wrath in a jumble of Abydonian, Ancient, and (oddly) Gaelic. Amusement overshadowed concern for a moment as Jack ambled his way over to the log and plunked himself down next to the dark-haired woman.

"So!" he said, loudly, smiling with the full O'Neill charm and with his impression of an Irish accent, "A mite vexed, is he?"

Daniel heard, spared him a glare, and went back to venting.

"A tad, yes. Though I can't blame him. That man was not only rude and insulting but extremely ungrateful and...mean!" Vala crossed her arms over her chest. "If I'd had a Zat at the time I would have shot him."

"You and me both, sister – had I been there." Jack had to agree. "Only I wouldn't have had a Zat. I'd use my side-arm."

"No, you wouldn't." Daniel spat out knowingly between breaths.

"No, I wouldn't." Jack agreed smoothly, keeping one eye on the irate linguist. "But only because a) Daniel would shoot _me_, and b) too much paperwork. I've got enough paperwork as is."

"I will never understand your people's dependence on bureaucracy and all that paper. All those forms and reports, and reports about the reports..."

"Ha! You think it's bad now? Should have seen it before computers!" Jack shuddered dramatically and Vala put on a suitably horrified expression.

"I don't even want to imagine it!"

A moment of silence fell, and they watched Daniel a bit longer before Jack leaned in and asked, "How long has he been at it?"

"A good half an hour, I believe. Nothing I say or do seems to help, I'm afraid." Vala admitted, looking rather put out about it. It pained her to admit it, but she didn't think anyone but the silver-haired General sitting beside her could have any hope of calming Daniel down.

"He'll run out of steam soon. I'll take care of him." Jack gave her knee a pat and pushed himself up from the log. Vala stood and sighed.

"I will leave him to you, then, O'Neill, while _I_ track down Mitchell and see if he has any plans for tonight." She rubbed her hands together gleefully. Jack blinked and shook his head.

"You want to _date_ Mitchell?"

"Well, you've gone and taken away all of Daniel's affection, and I rather doubt Teal'c would succumb to my considerable charms. And quite frankly, how is a girl supposed to hook up with potential...suitors if one can't leave the base on her own?" Vala planted her hands on her hips, one foot tapping.

"Right. Good point." Jack scratched his temple at the picture of Vala and Cameron together, then shook his head. "Well...good luck with that."

"Thank you." Vala smiled and headed for the path.

Jack watched her go, briefly wondering where she would fit in a relationship with anyone on base within the context of the regs for fraternization. Then he decided it didn't matter since – hello – he was dating his archaeologist who was subordinate to him. Technically. And _male_, just to add another bit of spice to the violation of regs.

He turned back to said male, subordinate social-scientist and waited until Daniel paced close by him to reach out and snag the man by an arm and pull him to a stop.

"Whoa, there, Dannyboy. You're making me dizzy watching you." Jack soothed, rubbing his hands up and down Daniel's BDU-covered arms. "You know the guy is a jealous asshole, and worse, he's spouting off without knowing what he's even talking about. Don't let him do this to you, Daniel."

"I can't help it, Jack! I just can't understand why he refuses to put the past behind him and grab on to something important like this!" Daniel looked like he was going to explode, his face quite red and his eyes glittering with ire. "I've made a huge mistake bringing him here. I never should have..."

"Okay, hold it right there, Daniel." Jack interrupted firmly, wagging a finger in emphasis. "You only did as you thought best. You believed in the jerk, and you're trying to do something great for him. It isn't your fault he's too insecure to see that and accept it for what it is. As for the rest of the problem...Carter had a thought."

Scowling, Daniel crossed his arms like a petulant child. "Did she." It wasn't a question.

"Yes." Jack responded mildly, giving him a scolding glance at his uncharitable tone. "She did. She said it seemed very much as if Rayman..."

"Rayner!" Daniel rolled his eyes in exasperation at Jack's usual way of screwing up people's names purposely.

"..._whatever_...was maybe more jealous about Sarah than anything." Jack sat back down on the log and gave it pat beside him in invitation. Daniel sighed and sat down. "She said it seemed like he was very jealous that Sarah believed you, accepted your theories and all that, and that she was so focused on you that she barely paid attention to him."

Daniel blinked. "That's ridiculous, Jack."

"Is it?" The older man wondered with a raised eyebrow. "Look at it from his viewpoint and think. The woman's not ugly, for sure, and she's intelligent – something I imagine the kid appreciates as much as you would. He falls for her, but like Dr. Jordan and most of the others among your peers, she is very intrigued and attracted to _you_. She doesn't _see_ Rayner, ya know?"

"Okay, maybe back then, but Sarah and I broke up a couple of months before that disaster of a presentation of mine, and we'd had problems for weeks before _that_. Sarah wasn't really that fond of me anymore." Daniel protested. "And after I got into the programme, I had no contact with either of them until Dr. Jordan died."

"So? Time isn't a part of it when you're so stuck on someone like that." Jack argued. "If it was Sha're who was between you...if she'd been looking only at _him_ and not you, as much as you tried, would you feel any different?"

"Yes, because I'm not Steven." Daniel waved the argument aside. "You know I would do anything for someone I love, Jack, as long as they're happy – including step aside and never say anything, denying myself." He gave his lover a very pointed stare, thinking of Sam.

"...Right. But you get my point!" Jack continued, holding up a hand, "Aht! I'm not done. You're out of the picture, and he thinks he has all the time in the world to get her attention, except that it's years of time wasted when weird things start happening, your old mentor dies mysteriously, and suddenly _you_ are back in the picture. You breeze in like a superhero, saving the day – not to mention _you_ seem to know what the hell's going on when no one else does – further rubbing salt in the wounds. And then a couple years later and you, again, apparently save Sarah. Again."

Daniel groaned, feeling the bulk of the tension suddenly dissipate from his body. It left him with a headache. He slumped dejectedly. "I see. And now...I come busting in, tearing apart his exhibition, and dragging _both_ of them into what seems like a bad science fiction novel just when he's finally making his own way outside my shadow."

"Yeah." Jack dropped a hand on Daniel's thigh and rubbed up and down slowly in sympathy. "He's being so resistant because of his jealousy, Daniel. A part of him, I suspect, is afraid of all this, too. Because if it is real, then he has to accept that you've 'won' yet again, and worse, he has to _admit_ it. Plus, he'll once again have to work in your 'shadow,' whether he likes it or not."

Daniel closed his eyes and dropped his head on Jack's shoulder, thinking it all through in silence. He almost didn't notice when Jack slipped his arm around Daniel and kneaded at the knotted muscles in his neck and shoulders.

"So what do I do?" he finally asked quietly. "I can't tell him I'm not after Sarah because I'm with _you_. It's too late to send him on his way; he's going to have to learn the rest of it because I have no doubt he'll use what he already knows _somehow_, non-disclosure forms or not."

"Is he a security risk?" Jack frowned, hating to ask.

"No. I think if you, or Landry, impress upon him the fact that he could be up on treason charges if he leaks anything..."

"Ah. How far did you get in the briefing, anyway?"

"Actually, not that far." Daniel laughed at the ridiculousness of the whole thing. "Weasel Woolsey told them nothing, Jack. Not even the basics. I had to start at the very beginning."

"I think Dick needs a new career." Jack muttered, annoyed. "So you had to tell them about the Gate, Giza, Catherine, the programme...all of it?" he queried with a sigh when Daniel nodded unhappily.

"Except I didn't get as far as actually talking about the Stargate and 'Gate travel 101' as the recruits have dubbed it. The minute I started talking about aliens was when Steven decided to rain on my parade."

Jack sighed again and gestured at the ground in front of himself, between his feet. "Here, Danny. Sit down here, facing away." At the odd look he got from his mate, he rolled his eyes. "For cryin' out loud, Danny, just do it. Please." Daniel warily obeyed, then let out a tiny moan as Jack's strong hands began to massage the tension out of his back, shoulders, and neck more thoroughly than he'd been doing before. "There, see? Better all 'round. Now," Jack continued the massage as he spoke, "I have to agree with you that we'll just have to tell them all of the rest of it, since they're this far in anyway. But maybe if we did it less formally? Like, instead of a full-briefing that _we're_ all used to, maybe take them on a tour of the SGC, explaining things as you go. And once he's seen the whole show, I think...the one way to prove it all to him, finally..."

Daniel caught on pretty quickly for someone completely distracted by a most excellent massage. "Take him through the Gate."

"Yeah. In fact, take him on a tour of the galaxy. Let him see exactly what it is we're really doing here and out there." Jack waved a hand up at the afternoon sky that was ever so slightly beginning to fall to dusk. "I'm sure Carter can come up with a list of five or six planets that are still relatively safe that you could drop by."

Relaxing back into the comfort and warmth of Jack's stomach and groin, his head resting just below Jack's heart with the older man's legs stretched out along either side of him, Daniel smiled and reached for Jack's hands. "I think you may be on to something, General O'Neill."

"Ya think? These stars aren't entirely for decoration, Dr. Jackson."

"Putz."

"Yours."

"Very." Daniel half-turned, tilting his head up to meet his lover's mouth in a sweet, lazy, and long kiss full of affection and humour. After a few moments, though, his brain interfered and he broke away abruptly. "We're safe up here, right?"

"Huh? Oh. Yeah, Danny. No need for surveillance cameras. You can't get this far up the mountain without someone knowing about it, and short of flying in – which our radar would pick up long before any chopper or plane got close – there's no reason for security up here." Jack reassured him, then whined playfully, "Can we get back to the kissing now?"

Grinning, Daniel pulled him back in.

* * *

Daniel steeled himself and raised a hand to rap his knuckles on the door to Steven's quarters. It was a little after 1700 hours, and though this was the official time he was supposed to go off-duty, the linguist wanted to get most of the rest of the briefing out of the way. He'd decided Jack's idea was a good one, and intended to take both Steven and Sarah on the penny tour of the SGC.

The metal door clanged open and Daniel did his best to look neutral, but pleasant. He could do this. Really. "Steven." He greeted the man politely.

"Daniel." Steven returned warily. Daniel blinked, hiding his surprise at the man's weary face. He looked tired and emotionally wrung out. "Come in." Steven stepped back and left Daniel to follow.

Doing so, he closed the door and was more surprised that Steven wasn't alone. Sarah was sitting at the little table in one corner of the room, teacup in hand. She gave him a tiny, pinched smile, but said nothing.

"I'm sorry." Daniel apologized. "I didn't know you were here, too, Sarah. I can come back later..."

"It's fine, Daniel." Sarah shook her head. "You weren't interrupting anything."

"Just the strips that Sarah's been tearing off me." Steven dropped down on the end of the bed looking very embarrassed and chagrined. He also appeared very uncomfortable. "She's been explaining exactly what happened to her when Dr. Jordan died, and she's doing her best to impress upon me how much of an asshole I've been to both of you – especially you, Daniel."

Okay. So that wasn't what Daniel had expected. Grabbing the second chair, he sat down hard, shooting glances between the two. He said nothing, as there really wasn't anything to be said.

"I want to apologize for my unprofessional behaviour, earlier. There was no excuse for it, no matter what personal issues I apparently still harbour." Steven continued, straightening and making eye contact with Daniel.

Rubbing a hand over his face, Daniel adjusted his glasses. "Apology accepted." He gave the consideration merited its due, recognizing the sincerity behind it for what it was. It was a step in the right direction, anyway.

Sarah put her teacup down and stood. "I should leave you to talk."

"No." Daniel shook his head and held up a hand, standing also. "It's fine, Sarah. I was actually going to come for you next. Instead of continuing the briefing in the usual way, I had it suggested to me that I should take you both on a tour of the SGC and fill you in as I go. Then you can see what we do around here." He offered a small smile of his own. "I thought we'd start with the commissary. Are you hungry?"

Steven got to his feet, shoving his hands in his pants' pockets. "Dinner sounds good."

Sarah nodded in agreement. "It does."

"Let's go, then."

* * *

After a quick meal in the commissary (joined by Nyan, Bill Lee, and Sam), Daniel led his new recruits through the halls of the SGC, level by level. He started on 18, where his lab was, as well as the rest of the archaeological, anthropological, and linguistics labs were located. Sarah and Steven very carefully poked around his lab as he explained the Goa'uld in more detail, occasionally answering questions when they asked. Daniel also explained about the Asgard and the Nox, and about the Great Alliance of the Four Great Races.

Next he took them down one more level, to 19, and gave them a brief tour of the science labs. They left Dr. Lee and Sam arguing physics and math about their current projects-in-progress (none of which Daniel had any real idea of what it was about).

Level 20 and all its medical glory was a quick trip. Dr. Lam was already off-duty and gone by the time they got there, so Daniel didn't get the chance to introduce her.

Rather than showing them the next few levels – where it was all mostly military toys and equipment that neither archaeologist would be interested in anyway – Daniel simply skipped them and told them what was on each level. Instead, he took them directly to Level 28.

"So this is the heart of the SGC." He said as they stepped off the elevator. "We're at the bottom of the converted silo, the very lowest level in the Mountain. All the action usually starts here." He paused just below the stairs that led up into the control room. "Up there is the main computer and the nerve-centre for SGC operations." Daniel motioned for them to follow him a little farther, where he turned and entered the Gate room beyond the blast doors after swiping his security card. "And _that_ is the reason we're all here."

Steven stared up at the huge ring, curious and surprised. "What is it?"

Daniel walked up to the edge of the ramp, folding his arms as he gazed up at the object that was his destiny. For all the pain and suffering, tragedy and death, it still awed him, still filled him with wonder.

"_A million years into the sky, the Sun God Ra sealed and buried for all time the Stargate._" He recited quietly, the memory suddenly crystal clear in his mind. Steven and Sarah looked at him curiously. "Those were the words inscribed on the cover stones from Giza. This device, the Stargate, was what lay beneath the heavy stones for nearly 5,000 years."

They looked back up at the Gate. "That's the device you were talking about? The one that creates wormholes so you can travel to other planets?" Steven sounded a little incredulous.

"Yep. Just don't ask me how it works. That's Sam's department." Daniel chuckled, thinking of Jack and how Sam's techno-babble never ceased to drive the man crazy. "Tomorrow you might just get to experience it firsthand."

Sarah dragged her gaze from the Gate to look at him apprehensively. "What do you mean?"

"You don't have to, Sarah, if you're not ready yet. But Jack – General O'Neill – suggested a whirlwind tour of the galaxy. My team and I would take you to...oh, five or six different planets. Friendly ones, of course. As safe as possible, with things as they are." Daniel didn't want to think about the possibilities of running into rogue Jaffa, more Baal clones, Ori soldiers and/or Priors, or worse – Adria coming back as a fully Ascended being.

"Seriously?" Steven asked, sounding excited and just a touch afraid.

"I don't know, Daniel..." Sarah frowned, glancing sideways at the Gate.

"You don't have to. No one will make you go, Sarah. Just...think about it over night." Daniel reassured her, taking her hand and squeezing.

Before she could say anything, the Gate came to life. Klaxons blaring all around, Daniel pulled Steven and Sarah from the room as Walter declared, "Incoming! Unscheduled off-world activation!" and the iris swirled shut.

"Come." Daniel took them up to the control room. "Who's calling, Walter?"

"I'm not...ah." Walter frowned at one of his screens. "Hey, it's the Kelownan's IDC!"

"Jonas?" Daniel's eyes went wide.

"I have a signal coming through...video." Walter brought it up on the overhead monitors.

It was Jonas Quinn, and Daniel gave a startled gasp of concern at the younger man's appearance. "Oh my god. He looks horrible!" Daniel leaned over the mic, ready to speak to their friend just as Mitchell came clanking down the metal stairs from the briefing room.

"Hello? Stargate Command, this is Jonas Quinn from Kelowna...does anyone read me?" Jonas' voice came out over the speakers, sounding exhausted, anxious, and hoarse. "Please, if you can hear me...I'm requesting asylum, and I don't have much time before I'm discovered or the bomb goes off!"

"Quinn?" Mitchell glanced at Daniel. "Isn't he the one with the Naqahdriah..."

"Yes. Get a med team to the Gate room, Cam." Daniel cued the mic and nodded at Walter, who slapped a palm to the scanner and opened the iris. "Jonas! It's Daniel! Come through!"

"Dr. Jackson? Thank god." Jonas gave a relieved wave at the camera. "I'm coming through. Quinn out." The video feed died, and a moment later Jonas stumbled through the shimmering blue of the event horizon.

"Close it down!" He called up to the control room. "Close the iris!" It swirled shut behind him, and a moment later there was a huge BANG! before the Gate shut down and the iris retracted. Jonas flinched violently at the sound, then collapsed at the foot of the ramp, heedless of the SFs still in the room with their weapons trained on him.

Stunned and worried, Daniel turned to rush down the stairs, nearly bumping into Steven. "Oh, sorry. Look, why don't you go back to your quarters for now. I have to..." he gestured at the Gate room distractedly before simply hurrying past the man. Mitchell was right behind him.

"Jackson, wait up!" Cam watched Daniel hurry to he obviously injured and ill man's side. "Stand down, boys." He waved off the SFs as the medics rushed in. He pulled Daniel back, out of their way, and watched the medics go to work. "So what's going on?"

"I'm not sure. We've had no communication from Kelowna – or anyone on Langara for that matter – since a few months before Priors started showing up in our galaxy." Daniel's eyebrows knit in concern, and his arms came up in his self-hug. "There were reports of Ori ships in the area, but no one knew if they'd landed on Langara or destroyed everyone or what."

"What bomb was he talking about?"

Daniel closed his eyes, paling considerably. "It was probably a Naqahdriah bomb. The Kelownans developed them...about six years ago. They were embroiled in a never-ending cold war with the other two nations of their planet."

"Shit. We're talking what?" Mitchell shuddered, remembering reading reports from SG1's encounters with the people of that planet. "Nuclear war?"

"Essentially."

"God. And this guy, Jonas Quinn, he was with SG1 for a year, right? While you were off...doing the glowy thing?"

"Yeah. When they found me on Vis Uban, and after the encounter with Anubis on Jonas' planet, he went home again to act as a mediator between the three Langaran countries. We only saw him once after that." Daniel watched the medics load Jonas on a stretcher and cart him away to the infirmary. "We should let Sam, Teal'c, and Jack know. They'll want to be here when he wakes up."

Mitchell dropped a hand on Daniel's shoulder and squeezed. "You go tell the General. I'll round up the rest of the team and meet you in the infirmary."

They split up, Cam to the elevator and Daniel back to the control room and up the stairs. Cutting though the briefing room, he made his way to Jack's office.

He didn't bother to knock; barging in unannounced was his privilege anyway.

"Daniel?" Jack looked up from his mound of paperwork, startled. "Why, come right in like you own the joint!" He snarked, glowering. "Have you _tried_ knocking?"

"Jonas just arrived. He's in the infirmary, Jack, and he looks awful." Daniel cut across their usual banter without pre-empt, ignoring his partner's glower.

"What? When did this happen?" Jack tossed his pen aside and pushed out of his chair, moving around the desk to Daniel.

"Just now. Didn't you hear the klaxons?"

Jack made a face. "They go off all the time, Daniel. And I imagined if they needed me, they'd yell. Besides...it's Landry's party, not mine." Still, he didn't like being out of the loop, resolving to get Siler to set up some monitors for him so he'd at least know what was going on. "Did you tell Carter and T?"

Daniel shook his head, leading the way out. "Mitchell went to get them."

"Good." Jack paused at his assistant's door. "Lieutenant, pack it in for the day. Looks like I'll be here indefinitely, anyway."

Keeley looked up and managed to nod before Jack was gone again. She sighed, starting to get used to the way the General seemed to just come and go unexpectedly.

* * *

It was a familiar sight to many SGC personnel passing through the infirmary level. SG1, the flagship team, sitting in the hallway on uncomfortable plastic chairs while they waited for news of one of their own. The only strange thing was that all of SG1 _was_ sitting out there. They were all accounted for. And since few knew of Jonas Quinn, and/or knew that he was currently in the mountain and receiving treatment, those who walked by often stopped to inquire – followed by well-wishes to the people who represented everything the programme was about.

Dr. Carolyn Lam, recalled to duty, finally appeared looking tired but calm and unconcerned. Seeing the tightly knit group loitering about the hall made her smile.

"Doc!" Mitchell was the first to spot her. "How is he?"

Thrusting her hands into the pockets of her lab coat, Carolyn smiled as she reassured them. "Mr. Quinn will be fine. Eventually. He's in pretty rough shape, and I think he's got a solid month of recovery time facing him – at least. But he will get back to full health."

There was a collective sigh of relief, but it quickly faded into deep concern. Not surprisingly, it was the General who started asking questions.

"What's his condition, then? Is he awake? Did he say anything about what happened?"

"Can we see him?" Daniel added quietly.

Carolyn shook her head. "No, he's asleep, and I'd prefer to keep him that way. He didn't say much the few moments he was lucid, except to ask for you, Dr. Jackson, or you, General. He also kept calling me 'Janet'..." She hesitated, seeing the flinches and winces on Jack, Sam, Teal'c, and especially Daniel's faces. Mitchell and Vala looked sad and a little grim. "I didn't want to press him. He's too weak right now."

"It's alright." Jack said gruffly, shaking his head. He stepped close to Daniel, allowing their shoulders to brush – the only comfort he could offer at the moment. "When he's better, he can tell us all about it."

"And his condition?" Sam inquired anxiously, repeating Jack's question. Of them all, she had formed the closest relationship to Jonas – considering him almost as she had Daniel, as a brother or cousin similar in age to herself.

Carolyn sighed and leaned against the wall at her shoulder tiredly. "He had multiple contusions, and bruising that varies in age. He has a bruised lung, two broken ribs, and I'd guess he's suffered from a nasty concussion for some time."

"Beaten." Mitchell guessed, looking more grim as the doctor recited Jonas' injuries.

"Most probably. However, while that's all bad enough on its own, he's also malnourished, dehydrated, and a little anaemic. He has a pretty bad lump on the back of his head – which would explain the concussion – and I'd say he lost a lot of blood at some point. Because he hasn't eaten or consumed enough water – if any at all – lately, he hasn't been able to heal, repair himself, or gain back the blood he lost."

Daniel was looking pretty pale, but managed to sound cool and collected when he spoke. "Whatever happened, he's safe now."

Jack laid a hand on his shoulder now, squeezing lightly. "I gotta ask, Dr. Lam...torture?"

She nodded, then shook her head. "I know, and...it depends on your definition of the word, General O'Neill. My opinion would be 'yes,' as I view the deprivation of a person's basic needs for life to be torture – if it's deliberate. If he simply could not find food or water for some time, and could not be treated for his injuries for some reason, then no, not torture."

Jack frowned, elaborating, "But no obvious signs of it otherwise? Burns, cuts, whatever?"

Daniel flinched and leaned in closer to Jack. Thankfully nobody noticed (or if they did, they didn't care).

"No, sir. There is one last thing, of which you should be aware." Carolyn straightened from the wall, meeting each of their gazes momentarily. "I've had him set up in one of the ISO rooms. He was infected with the Prior's virus, though for some reason it has yet to...manifest itself as we've come to expect."

"What?" Came the shocked chorus (minus Teal'c).

"I don't know why, so don't ask. We started him on treatments for it anyway, and likely it will leave his system in the next 48-72 hours just as with anyone else." Carolyn explained the treatments, then looked to Jack. "Luckily, General, everyone in the SGC has been inoculated for the virus, so there hasn't been a reason to worry about it spreading or needing a quarantine."

Jack nodded. "Good."

"May I ask why, then, JonasQuinn is isolated?" Teal'c asked, looking curious.

"Both as a precaution for everyone else, and because his immune system has been practically decimated. He's extremely susceptible to any viruses _we_ might carry, and to bacterial infections." The doctor explained, nodding at the question. She eyed them all sternly. "Which is why you will be gowned and masked when you go visit him tomorrow, and until I say otherwise."

"Of course." Sam looked around at her team. "So we can see him before we leave?"

"From the viewing room only, tonight. He's in ISO room two. I don't want him disturbed." Carolyn warned, watching them all hurry down the hall past her.

Once there, they looked down at their friend in sad, worried silence. After some time passed, Mitchell spoke up quietly.

"Listen, there's no point in all of us staying up all night watching him sleep. I suggest we take shifts, so that at least _we_ aren't run down ourselves when he does wake up."

"ColonelMitchell is correct." Teal'c agreed, his voice a low rumble. "I would agree to shifts."

Jack clapped the young officer on the back in approval. "Good thinking, Mitchell."

"I shall take the first." Vala volunteered. They all looked at her in surprise. "What? I may not know him, but he's obviously important to you, and when he does wake up, he should see people he knows rather than some stranger watching him from up here."

Daniel gave her a look that said quite plainly that he was proud of her for that bit of humanity. "Thank you, Vala." He said simply with a smile.

She tossed her hair over a shoulder and huffed, the faint tinge of red to her cream complexion giving away how pleased she was with that praise from him. "Mitchell can take the next shift, then..."

"I shall take the third." Teal'c claimed.

Sam took the fourth, while Jack and Daniel were left to share the fifth.

"That puts us into the afternoon. If he hasn't woken by then, we'll start over with the shifts." Mitchell calculated. "Change every five hours, okay?"

Everyone agreed, and so left Vala to the first watch. Sam offered to bring her some magazines and a laptop to keep her occupied for the duration.

They split up to go their separate ways. Teal'c and Sam headed for their quarters, Mitchell went back to his office to finish up his work (still on duty until Landry returned), and Jack followed Daniel to his lab.

"I don't want to go home tonight, Jack." Daniel told him as they settled down in the back corner of the lab at Daniel's desk. "It wouldn't feel right, you know?"

"Yeah, Danny. It's fine. I sort of expected that, and feel the same." Jack confessed. He picked up a paperweight and fiddled with it absently. "We can stay in your quarters here."

Daniel blinked, his face running through several emotions. "Way to be discreet, O'Neill." He drawled with a raised eyebrow and deep sarcasm.

Jack grinned, all innocence. "What? There's no open quarters available on-base, Daniel. I'd have to double up with someone, anyway. You're the obviously the best choice."

Daniel shook his head ruefully, not about to argue or look a gift-Jack in the mouth. "Fine, fine."

* * *

**Chapter II**

Jack made a concentrated effort to actually accomplish some work that evening – much to his own amusement. Then again, he decided, it was more practical to make as big a dent as possible so that when he was mostly distracted by this new situation with Jonas' arrival over the next couple of days, he'd not have to worry about mountains of paperwork, too.

When Landry returned and was informed by Mitchell what happened in his absence, he made his way to Jack's office and the two Generals had a discussion about it. Hank asked a few questions about Jonas, Kelowna, past missions with the Kelownan scientist on SG1, and about the SGC's past dealings with the people of Langara. Jack didn't mind, considering he _was_ probably the best person to ask anyway, and because Jack had been involved in pretty much every one of those missions – except of course, his stint masquerading as a Tok'ra and Baal's favourite torture victim. Thankfully, Hank seemed to know not to bring _those_ subjects up.

It was nearly 2300 hours when he tiredly made his way to Daniel's – _their_ – quarters. And if his lover wasn't there, and he had to go drag his linguist out from under whatever translations he was buried under... Well. Jack grinned to himself. Life would be back to normal and almost perfect.

Unlocking the door and going inside, he found the room empty. With a sigh, Jack pondered his options for a moment before picking up the phone on the bedside table and calling Daniel's office.

"Dr. Jackson."

"Danny...put it away for the night, big guy."

"Jack, it's important and I want to get as much finished tonight as I can so I'm not worried about it tomorrow." Daniel's voice replied on a sigh tinged with amusement, exasperation, and regret.

"You also need your sleep. Let's start a new precedent and have you actually stop working at a sort-of-reasonable hour instead of 0300."

"I'm nearly done..."

"Daniel, don't make me come up there and get you." Jack threatened, then paused, grinning mischievously. Even if the phones were monitored by security, he knew how to get around it. A bit rusty, but still fluent, he continued in the Ancient dialect he'd learned during the infamous Loop incident. "If I have to get out of bed, put on all my clothes again, and kill this rather impressive erection I've gotten all ready for you, I'm not gonna be a happy General."

He could almost hear Daniel's mind run through that, switching rapidly from whatever language he'd been translating, and imagined the expression that must be playing over that animated face. Jack's grin widened when he heard the startled gasp and the breathy little moan of his name.

"Ja~ck! You crazy bastard!" Daniel laughed. "You really like playing with matches, don't you?" He said, replying in the same Ancient dialect.

"Come to bed, lover." Jack repeated, his voice just short of husky. "I've got this little fantasy I want to tell you all about – then make it reality."

A hastily sucked in breath told Jack that Daniel was fast forgetting anything that had to do with translations.

"I'll email this report, put stuff away, and be down in ten minutes." Daniel declared, a hint of a growl in his voice that made pleasant little tingles run down Jack's spine and gather in his groin. He'd switched back to English, too, so Jack followed suit.

"Good. I'll keep a light on for you." The older man hung up with a satisfied smirk. Ten minutes was perfect.

He stripped down to the buff, neatly folded his clothes (since he'd need them tomorrow to wear), did a quick wash-up in the small adjoining washroom, and pulled back the covers on the bed. He'd only just gotten himself comfortable when the love of his life practically busted the door down with his entry.

Jack smiled invitingly and gave the bed a pat beside himself, unabashedly sprawling with total hedonism at the lustful blue gaze fastened on his very nude self. "Excellent timing, Danny. I was almost going to start without you."

Daniel answered his smirk with one of his own – all teeth and glittering eyes behind his glasses – and leaned back against the closed (and locked) door. He swept his gaze appraisingly and appreciatively over Jack, laid out so tantalizingly on the bed. "Don't let me stop you, Jack."

Jack couldn't help the chuckle that escaped, even though he was a little surprised. He didn't think Daniel would be so...so...voyeuristic this soon in the relationship. But hey! He could go with the flow. Jack wrapped a hand loosely around his erection, stroking very lightly. "You gonna keep those clothes on, or what?"

A pink tongue darted out to lick Daniel's lips as he pushed away from the door. "No. You said something about a fantasy you wanted to make real?" Hands lifted up to begin unbuttoning his BDU shirt, eyes glued to Jack's all the while.

"Hmm...yeah." There was an obvious darkening to Jack's eyes as they followed every movement of Daniel's hands as he slowly undressed. "Just something I've thought about many, many times."

"Tell me."

"You make love to me here. On base. It varied where, exactly." Jack licked his own lips as Daniel dropped his pants and underwear in one smooth movement, leaving himself naked to Jack's view. "God you're sexy..."

"Keep going, Jack." Daniel took off his glasses and set them carefully on top the dresser as he passed on his way to the bed. "I want to know exactly how you imagine it."

Swallowing hard at the predatory gleam in his lover's eyes, Jack held Daniel's gaze as the man crawled up to him from the foot of the bed with all the lithe grace of a big cat. Voice roughened by desire, Jack continued describing the image he always saw. "Sometimes it was a quickie in one of the supply closets, but mostly it was on a bed. Either yours or mine." He winked saucily, looking up into Daniel's face when he came to a halt, hovering above Jack but not touching yet. "Depending on which we were closest to in the fantasy, I guess."

"Funny. I've had a few of those myself." Daniel grinned. It was a lot to do with the risk of being on base and getting caught, or simply that it _was_ on base and thereby sticking it to the military and its homophobic rules. To Daniel, it was a little alpha-male in nature, too – taking Jack or being taken right under the military's nose, showing who _really_ commanded their hearts, minds, bodies, and even souls. "So you're telling me you want me to fuck you, Jack? Here on base, where we could be found out?"

Jack nodded shortly, letting go of himself and raising his hand to stroke Daniel's cheek tenderly. "I figure...you haven't done it this way yet, Danny, and this is the perfect time and place." The glint in his darkened whiskey eyes hid the small bit of surprise at Daniel's turn of phrase. It seemed unlike the quiet, gentle personality his mate was. Then again...there is that cliché about linguists and words and how much they liked them.

In this case, Jack decided it was a cliché he could live with. After all, Daniel made it sexy as hell.

An eyebrow rose and Daniel's mouth twitched as he fought not to smirk. "Really, now." Jack watched a not-so-pleasant thought chase away the delight off the younger man's expressive face. Cupping Daniel's cheeks, he turned serious.

"What's the matter, Danny?"

Daniel sighed and nuzzled Jack's palm like an affectionate kitten. "Sorry. I was just wondering if it really is safe for us here. If...if it was a risk that was reasonably safe. And," his gaze slid off to the side for a moment when he hesitated, "I wasn't...well...I don't know if you...I mean, PTSD...stuff...Iraq..."

Jack blinked, connecting the dots from the babbling, and heaved a relieved sigh of his own. "Ah. Come here." He held open his arms and Daniel obligingly settled down over him, against his chest with his dusky blonde head resting on Jack's shoulder.

"Listen, Daniel. I'm not going to lie and tell you what you think probably happened in that...place, didn't." Jack began in a quiet voice, his fingers rubbing soothing circles on Daniel's bicep as he spoke – more to ground himself than Daniel. He hated the talking thing, especially about certain subjects, and he stank at it. This was a big one of those topics. But this was Daniel, and this was important, not something he would hide from the man who was his soul mate. "And you – more than anyone – know that I still occasionally wake up in a cold sweat in the middle of the night from nightmares."

Frowning, Daniel turned over and lifted himself up a bit so he could look Jack in the eyes again. "Jack...you don't have to..."

"Hey. I said listen, alright?" Jack pleaded gruffly, pushing Daniel back down. "This once, just listen to me. It happened. I was a POW. And they were out to get a little of their own back for the damage we – the USA – had caused. They had no other whipping boy, no other figure to place their blame, hatred, anger, and pure fanaticism on, because of course they wouldn't look at themselves that way. But they had me."

Daniel went tense in his arms, and Jack could feel Daniel's heartbeat pounding an unhappy tattoo in his chest. But he didn't interrupt this time, so Jack continued.

"I understood it when it happened. You know...up here," he tapped his temple, "in that logical way. But of course, as a victim, I could have cared less. I'd happily have killed them all bare-handed had I been able. The only bright side to the drug addiction was that it made it all hazy and surreal. I only really remember things in my nightmares.

"I lived the law of a POW, Daniel. I did whatever it took to survive, to get away, to get home...and then dealt with the fallout on my own time. And I promise you," Jack drew Daniel up so they were eye-to-eye, "I promise you I _did_ deal with it. I refused to take that shit home to Sara and Charlie, and I did whatever it took to keep that from touching them."

A single, silvery tear slipped down Daniel's cheek and he nodded slightly, offering a shaky smile. "No issues, then?" He needed to be sure.

"No issues." Jack asserted, smiling back. "I mean, of course I don't like thinking about it, but it isn't gonna rear up and bite us when we least expect. And if it helps, ya think they'd have re-activated me ever if I hadn't dealt?"

"Okay." Daniel nodded, almost frantically. "Okay." He dipped his head and laid the sweetest, most loving and tender kiss on Jack that he could. They were both breathless when he let up, panting lightly. It brought back the lust, which had predictably (and understandably) died with the trip down the back alleys of memory lane. When Daniel finally let him breathe, the scholar smiled down at him.

"What?"

"Just grateful that you've survived all the crap life's dealt you, that you've stayed sane, and that we're here to enjoy that fact now." Daniel's smile widened, his truly happy one that was rarely seen, while his fingers idly carded through the silvery strands of Jack's hair.

"Good reasons." Jack couldn't really refute that, so he just smiled back. "So...Danny..." he waggled his eyebrows suggestively. It made the younger man snicker.

"Stop that. You just look ridiculous." Daniel shimmied down a bit, making sure his front rubbed along Jack's in as many places as possible. Jack gasped a little, kneading Daniel's shoulders encouragingly and letting his legs splay open to allow his lover to settle more comfortably against him. His package rubbed against Daniel's stomach and he let out a pleasure-soaked sigh at the stimulation.

"Come on, Daniel..." Jack panted as the man licked, nipped, and generally made a full meal out of him on his way down Jack's aroused body. He was going to be liberally marked by bruises and teeth impressions at this rate – not that he was complaining. Oh no. He loved it. "Oh god, so good..."

"Mmm..." Daniel hummed and rimmed Jack's navel with his tongue, shivering at the low growl he got from his lover at the treatment. Following the fine line of hair south, he nuzzled his face into Jack's cock and snuffled, enjoying the strong, masculine musk that was pure Jack before giving him one long, broad lick to taste.

Jack's hips twitched like he wanted to thrust up but held back. "God, Danny! Quit teasing..." Daniel's hot breath fanning the wet stripe on his cock was driving him nuts.

Daniel raised his head fractionally. "Can you come twice?" He suddenly wanted that more than anything tonight; he wanted Jack in his mouth, wanted to take him over the edge and taste all of him that way first, then take the older man and make him come again, past bliss and into ecstasy – just to feel Jack around him when he did explode. To make Jack O'Neill _his_.

The look in Daniel's eyes was predatory enough that Jack had to swallow hard before responding. "Uh...I don't know." He cursed inwardly at his age and the tell-tale flush he could feel in his face and neck. "Haven't...you know...had the inspiration to try for a long time. And I'm...not so young anymore." He hated admitting that and hated that he had to look away from his younger, more virile mate to say it.

Frowning, Daniel laid an affectionate kiss to the inside of Jack's thigh. "Hey, don't." He said firmly, stroking Jack's leg in distraction. "Jack, look at me." Jack's eyes reluctantly returned to Daniel's when he lightly patted the side of his knee. "It doesn't matter. Don't start questioning things between us just because of something like that."

"I'm not." Jack protested. The raised eyebrow didn't believe him. "I can't help it, Daniel. Just wait a couple of years...you'll get what I feel."

"Eventually, yes, but that day's not here for _either_ of us, Jack." Jack's eyes widened at the challenged determination glittering in those blue, blue eyes. "I predict many years of wild monkey sex ahead of us, so don't you dare whine about your age around me. Understood, General?"

Okay. His rank coming out of Daniel's mouth, in that commanding tone, in this situation, should _not_ sound so damned hot. Jack squirmed, nodding quickly and resisting the urge to salute. Well, with his hand. He was _already_ saluting Daniel with another part of himself.

"Sir, yes sir!"

Daniel's grin flashed, and it was feral. "Besides, we get to have lots of fun trying." With that, he stopped talking and wrapped long, agile fingers around Jack's hard length. He gave it a few strong pulls, and he watched ever nuance of reaction flash across Jack's face and body. Jack bit his lip and dug his fingers into the bed, trying to keep the noises to a minimum (as the door wasn't exactly sound-proof), and to hang on and keep from coming too soon.

When Daniel swallowed him with hot, wet suction, the mewling groan that slipped out couldn't be helped. Nor could the gasped whine of his name as those dexterous, talented fingers joined in, stroking and playing with his balls while Daniel's head bobbed industriously. It wasn't long before Jack couldn't take much more and he patted Daniel's head in warning, his fingers gliding through the short strands of his hair. He could feel the explosion building at the base of his spine.

"Da...Danny! Gonna..."

Daniel didn't stop, though. If anything he went a little faster, stroked a little harder. He pulled his mouth off Jack long enough to command, "Come!" before taking him in again. Jack, unable to resist, let go completely and gave a full-body jerk as the pressure expanded out from his groin, rushing up to his head and down to his toes as waves of release crashed through him. His vision blurred then went white for a moment, his toes curled, and a deep keening noise erupted from his mouth when he came in long, pulsing spurts.

Just when he thought it couldn't get better, Daniel swallowed around him and hummed in pleased approval. Jack gasped out his name and writhed at the over-stimulation.

Feeling quite smug, Daniel eased away, licking his lips to catch the lingering taste of his lover. Crawling back up Jack's sprawled, incoherent body, he hovered overhead and watched the dazed, sated, post-coital bliss on Jack's face for a few moments. Stroking Jack's chest-hair and idly playing with a peaked nipple, he slowly eased the older man back from euphoria with lazy, appreciative kisses to wherever he could conveniently reach, smiling as Jack's arms came around him finally and clutched him close.

"Hmm...damn!" Jack declared in a deep, rumble of a voice. His hands couldn't seem to stop touching Daniel. "I think you blew off the top of my head, Daniel."

Chuckling, Daniel kissed him deeply, wetly. "I've got mad skills, Jack. And I'm not quite done demonstrating just yet."

Jack grinned (and sure, it was a stupid, hopelessly horny one), and he couldn't do anything more than lie there replete and satiated. "I look forward to the next part of your demonstration, Dr. Jackson."

Content to have a totally pliant Jack on his hands, Daniel slipped away to go dig around in the spare shaving kit he kept on base – finding a small tube of lube, which he palmed – then returning to the bed and Jack. He dug out a bottle of massage lotion from his nightstand drawer, too, and when he turned back to Jack, he had to stop and admire the picture the man made lying there in his bed looking pleased and decadent. Jack had his hands tucked under this head, and he had one knee bent up in the air, while his other leg was splayed lazily out on the bed. Daniel sighed lustfully, studying the long, lean form, the musculature, and even the gorgeously grey-silver hair everywhere, admiring it all. Even though Jack's cock lay soft and spent at his groin, it still made Daniel's mouth water with want.

Raising his eyes back to Jack's, he smiled into soulful whiskey brown that were as content and eager as Daniel could ever remember seeing them. Despite the fact that he was still hard and aching for release, the anthropologist ignored his own erection in favour of winding Jack up for round two.

"On your stomach, General." He ordered, the sparkle in his eyes detracting from the gruffness of his tone. Jack flashed a grin and rolled over obediently, using a pillow to prop up his head and get comfortable with a sigh.

"What'cha doin'?" Jack inquired, interested in the sounds of a bottle opening, the slick sound of skin on skin, and the movements somewhere behind him he couldn't see but felt as Daniel knelt on the bed and moved to straddle Jack's body at the hips. Then he let out a groan as strong, agile hands grasped his shoulders and began to knead, massage, and generally unknot the little bundles of stress-tension he tended to hoard in his neck, back, and shoulders. "Daniel...oh my god, I think I just ascended."

Those sinful hands paused then continued on, a disbelieving snort of laughter answering him. "I'm not _that_ good, Jack. And don't even joke." Daniel gave a mock shudder of horror. "The Others couldn't keep _me_ on a leash, so I can't imagine what they'd do with _you_."

Jack buried his face in his pillow, scowling into it. "Whatever." He grumbled, voice muffled a bit. "The fact remains that you ought to have those hands licensed or something."

Daniel grinned and dug his thumbs into a particularly tight knot near the top of Jack's spine. "You like this then?" A deep, guttural groan answered before a muffled whimper.

"Nirvana, Danny...goddamn that's so good!"

Chuckling a little, Daniel kept at it until he reached the mounds of Jack's firm, tight ass, which Jack wiggled in a hint that his lover ignored. Instead, he moved to the side and began working at the muscles of Jack's thigh, slowly moving all the way down to his feet.

Jack melted into the mattress, a boneless mass of humming nerves. He didn't know how Daniel knew, but the sneaky bastard had figured out one of his major hotspots and he was thoroughly wasting Jack with a few well-determined pressured thumb kneads. A full body shudder ran through him and he moaned into the pillows, eyes dropping half-shut as the beginnings of arousal flooded his senses and pooled in his groin once again.

Daniel caught the reaction to what he'd thought was a simple foot rub and filed the new data away for future reference. After a moment, he let Jack's foot drop back to the bed and picked up the other, giving it the same treatment. By the time he'd worked his way back up Jack's leg, the older man was actually squirming with pleasure.

He had no idea when the massage – fabulous as it was – turned into more, but Jack was really quite surprised that he did get so hard so quickly at such little foreplay. _It must be Daniel,_ Jack thought as the linguist rolled him over like a boneless lump, _because it's never been like this before_. Jack rolled his head to the side to look up at his mate with lethargic fondness. "He~llo." He drawled, grinning goofily at Daniel.

Amused Daniel slid up until he could look him in the eyes, snickering and very lightly undulating his hips against Jack's, letting their erections rub together. "Hello." He answered. "I gotta say it, Jack."

"Hmm?" Jack was distracted, happily lifting his hips to meet Daniel's in little thrusts.

Daniel reached down between their damp, slick bodies and wrapped possessive fingers around Jack's reawakened cock, stroking once – up, then down; long and slow. "I told you so."

"Dan~ny..." Jack whined, unable to hide the sparkle of amusement in his eyes nonetheless. "Yeah sure you betcha." He admitted when Daniel gave him a small nudge to the ribs. "Gonna do something with it now that you've gone to all the trouble of waking it up again?"

"I'm sure some idea will come to me...say...fucking you?" the linguist reached for the lube he'd dropped on the mattress next to them. Making sure Jack was watching, he sat up on his knees and slicked up a finger, then nudged Jack's legs apart so he could settle between them and reach the puckered orifice just waiting for him. The older man didn't stop him, letting Daniel manipulate his yet humming body however he wished.

"I can get behind that idea..." Jack panted out as Daniel's skilful, agile fingers slicked and opened him up quickly. Relaxing as much as he could, Jack watched the intense, lustful expressions play themselves out on Daniel's face, captivated utterly by the movement of his fingers and what he was doing to his lover. The older man knew he'd never forget that look on his mate's face, never forget any part of this moment. Daniel simply took his breath and sanity away. "Damn good...view...from down...here, Danny." He stuttered with each increasingly hard thrust of fingers – three now – shoving into him.

Daniel's gaze snapped up to Jack's, almost startled. "Oh? 'Cause I quite like the view from where I'm at, lover." He winked at Jack and grinned a downright _filthy_ grin. Jack moaned and found his hips shoving back at Daniel's fingers uncontrollably. "You should see it, Jack...the way your ass is devouring my fingers so greedily. And yet you're so-oo tight." Jack's eyes closed and his head flopped back against the pillows, pushing it deep into them. "It's gonna feel so good to be in there, Jack."

"Shit, Danny!" He laughed breathlessly. "Who knew there was such a dirty mouth on you..."

Daniel shrugged, crooking a finger just so – and grinning triumphantly as Jack yelped and arched up instantly with a strangled cry. "What can I say?" He withdrew his fingers and slicked lube onto his throbbing, dripping cock before sliding up Jack's body so he could capture the man's mouth for a quick, wet and messy kiss. "You bring out the best in me. Don't like it?"

"Hell, yes, I like it!" Jack pulled him back down for more kissing, enjoying the way their groins were rubbing together minutely but really wanting more. "I especially like that I'm the only one who gets to hear it." He growled, dipping his head to suck at Daniel's clavicle possessively. "_So_ mine..."

Biting his lip to hold back the moan, Daniel carded his fingers through Jack's damp, silvered hair and fisted, pulling his head away from his neck to look directly into Jack's eyes fiercely – pupils blown wide to hide all but a sliver of blue. "I am." He agreed, his own voice a low growl, "And you are just as much _mine_, Jack O'Neill." Daniel let go of Jack's head to guide himself to the entrance of Jack's body. Rubbing the bared head of his uncut cock teasingly against the winking hole, Daniel pushed forward until he'd passed the first ring of muscle then paused. He could feel every pulse of Jack's blood beating through his veins, and _oh god_ the heat was so incredible. Straining against his instinct to just slam in, Daniel hissed in a startled breath when Jack seemed to just go lax and Daniel slid in all the way. Fully seated. Balls deep. "Mine." He repeated harshly, pulling out slowly then pressing back in a couple of times.

Jack would have liked to say something, but he was too awash in sensation at the moment to be able to fire enough brain cells together for such an endeavour. Instead, he reached up to pet and stroke Daniel's chest, to pinch and roll a nipple between his fingers, and generally do things that encouraged Daniel to _hurry up and fuck him, already_!

Daniel started the real fucking then, as if he'd understood – though Jack would have figured he would always know what Jack was thinking anyway. It started off as a mind-bending rocking motion and occasional roll of the hips that nudged Jack's prostate in just the right way. But Daniel had held out for quite a while now, and it soon became deliberate thrusts, just shy of rough.

And when the linguist shifted until he was angled slightly different, the thrusts became shorter, harder jabs that battered at Jack's prostate dead on target.

"Ah! Ah! Holy shit!" Jack tried not to cry out, even though he wanted to yell the mountain down with how supremely fantastic it was to be thoroughly fucked into the mattress by Dr. Daniel Jackson. "Danny...Daniel! G-gonna..."

Daniel grunted in acknowledgment, picking up the pace and ferocity of his thrusts in response. Each one was punctuating the one-sided dialogue he was having with the room in general and no one in particular. Sweat was dripping off him and trickling down his back with exertion, and he could feel the familiar tension building at the base of his spine and in his balls.

"Mine, Jack...body...mind...soul..._fuck!_ Only mine! No one else's! Not the government's...not the Air Force's...mine!" It was the most sexy, toe-curling, possessive rant Jack had ever heard (and wondered how long Daniel had held all that in) and there was no way he could _not_ answer.

"Fuck yes, Danny...yours...only yours!" Jack croaked out, grappling desperately at Daniel's sweat-slick shoulders and biceps as he felt the world tip on its axis and spin out of control. There was no holding back the "Fuck _me_, _**yes!**_ Daniel!" when that ride crashed and he shattered into a billion pieces, imploding under the ecstasy and creaming their stomachs and chests with his release.

Jack's orgasm triggered Daniel's like a switch. The almost frenzied snap of Daniel's hips abruptly stuttered and as reality blurred white, his ears rang and bliss poured through him in sharp, pseudo-painful waves, and out through his sputtering cock into Jack, Daniel's own hoarse yell was muffled by Jack's shoulder where he'd latched on with his teeth. He was so overwhelmed that he didn't notice his collapse over Jack, nor the uncontrolled thrusts he was still making into Jack, even as he softened.

Jack, too, was mostly incoherent and in a blessed out daze. He did, however, manage to raise an arm and curl it around Daniel, holding him close and in place, and cradling Daniel between his legs with his thighs. He took a deep, shaky breath and let it out on a contented, happy sigh, stroking fingers through Daniel's hair.

And then he let out a bark of laughter, grinning to himself goofily with smug pleasure. Daniel had spectacularly lost it, and Jack – practically purring – was going to be feeling it for a good long while, what with the bruises, the wonderfully sore ass, and a truly gorgeous imprint left by Daniel's teeth on his shoulder where he'd been claimed.

He felt well and truly owned, now, thank you very much.

"'So funny?" A groggy, post-coital Daniel wanted to know, voice slurred and sated.

"My, my, Daniel...you were _so_ alpha." Jack couldn't resist teasing, stretching his arm so he could get his hand on Daniel's butt, squeezing a handful and patting it fondly. "I may not be able to walk for a while – at least not without limping and definitely not straight."

Daniel snorted, gathering the strength to push himself off Jack and to the side so he wasn't squashing the man so much. Then he just lay there, an arm thrown across Jack's chest and a leg hooked possessively around Jack's. He pinched a nipple until it peaked from amongst Jack's silver-haired chest curls. "You loved it, too." He was totally unrepentant about it.

"Yep." Jack smiled lazily, kneading at the back of Daniel's neck and enjoying the afterglow immensely. He glanced down at the top of Daniel's head when his mate started pressing tiny, soft kisses to his shoulder and nuzzling with his nose at the mark he'd left. "Proud of that are ya?"

Blue eyes – still dark and blown from desire – flicked up and crinkled. "Yes. Not every day I can claim a General."

"As said General, I thoroughly approve." Jack sighed deeply, snuggling Daniel closer and closing his eyes.

"Hey." The linguist protested, poking Jack in the ribs. "Don't fall asleep yet. We should shower and change the sheets first, because I doubt we'll have the time in the morning."

Jack huffed and reluctantly let go of Daniel. Together they stripped off the dirty sheets and remade the bed, then made use of the shower very quickly, going through the motions with an efficiency born of both military 'training' and practicality in the field. After shaving and brushing their teeth, they collapsed into bed and fell asleep snuggled together under the covers.

That night, Daniel dreamed once again...

A firm, insistent banging on the door roused

* * *

Jack from a perfectly deep sleep. Cracking an eye, he sought the time from his wristwatch then groaned. An unintelligible grumble from behind him let him know Daniel was coming to, also, and he rolled over to greet him.

"Danny...it's 0713. Answer the door and tell whoever it is to go away and come again at a more decent hour." Okay, so he'd whine about the rude awakening instead.

"'K off, Jack." Daniel batted with total lack of coordination at the hand half-heartedly pushing at his back shoulder. He swiped Jack's head instead, narrowly missing his nose.

More banging, followed by an amused sounding Teal'c. Obviously the big guy knew them _way_ too well.

"O'Neill, DanielJackson...ColonelCarter requested I wake you for your shift in the infirmary to watch over JonasQuinn. Have you yet awakened?"

"Shit." Jack sighed and shook Daniel a little harder. "Get up, love of my life. Duty calls..." He sat up and rubbed his hands over his face sleepily, replying to Teal'c loudly, "Yeah, thanks, T. Hold up a moment."

"Very well, O'Neill. I shall remain here."

Daniel literally rolled out of bed and made his stumbling way to the bathroom without a word. Jack watched him fondly, thinking he was just too adorable in the mornings with his bad case of bed-head, his auto-pilot ablutions, and the owlish 'I haven't had my requisite five cups of coffee yet' expression.

Quickly scavenging a pair of boxers from Daniel's wardrobe to borrow, and slipping into his BDUs, Jack went to the door and opened it. "Come on in, Teal'c. Fill me in, buddy, while I tidy up."

"JonasQuinn has yet to awaken, O'Neill." The Jaffa entered and took a seat at the table, observing as Jack hastily made the bed and gathered up clean clothes for Daniel. "DoctorLam does not believe it is cause for concern, however, and after her first check on him this morning upon her return to duty, she believes that the Prior virus is indeed responding to her treatments."

"Ah. That's good news." Jack went to the bathroom and rapped his knuckles on the door. "Daniel! Clothes."

The door opened a crack and Daniel peered out, eyes heavy and a little red. "Coffee." He demanded, taking the clothes and unceremoniously shutting the door in Jack's face.

Jack blinked, wondering why Daniel appeared to have gotten little sleep, and turned back to Teal'c. "Thus spake the SGC's caffeine monster." He shrugged, grinning. "I think we'll swing by the commissary before we go relieve Carter. Anything else I should know about?"

"Of that I am unaware." Teal'c replied, rising to his feet. "I do not believe so, however, as someone would have surely notified you already of anything urgent."

"True. At least I'm not officially on duty until 0900."

Daniel walked out of the bathroom, appearing a bit more alert and fully dressed. He gave Teal'c a small smile as Jack slipped by him to take his turn.

"Good morning, Teal'c. Was it a quiet night?"

"Good morning, DanielJackson. It was, indeed. As I told O'Neill, JonasQuinn has not yet woken, and DoctorLam believes her treatments are working with success."

"That's good. Did you – and the others – manage to get some rest?" Daniel certainly hoped he was the only one who didn't sleep so well last night.

"I cannot speak for our team members, but I did rest sufficiently." Teal'c raised an eyebrow at Daniel. "You do not seem to have been as fortunate, DanielJackson. Has sharing your bed with O'Neill proved to be difficult?"

Blinking in surprise, Daniel shook his head and waved his hands about expressively. "Oh no, Teal'c! It's not Jack's fault. I just had a very strange dream, that's all."

Jack emerged from the bathroom, interrupting whatever Teal'c was about to say.

"Okay, campers! Breakfast!"

Daniel hurried after him, already tasting the coffee, grabbing his glasses to put on as he left the room. Teal'c accompanied them, closing the door to their quarters behind himself.

"I shall join you for breakfast, DanielJackson. I am most curious to hear more of this dream that disrupts your sleep." The big warrior declared as they piled into the elevator.

"I don't really know much myself, Teal'c." Daniel cautioned, shrugging. "Very little is sticking to my memory right now."

"Dream, Daniel?" Jack inquired, pushing the button for Level 22. "Same as that one you had a couple of nights ago?"

"Was it perhaps another memory trying to resurface from your time as an Ascended being?" Teal'c suggested, stepping off the elevator and leading the way to the commissary. "Such as the time we were able to rescue Bra'tac and Rya'c from Anubis' work camp on Erebus?"

"Maybe." Daniel made a frustrated noise. "I just don't remember enough of the dream to be able to say."

"Well don't spend all your energy worrying about it, Daniel." Jack clasped his shoulder in sympathy and advised his younger friend. "It'll only give you a migraine. You've got enough to think about right now." They got into line and grabbed trays. It was still fairly empty in the commissary, however, since it _was_ so early.

"But what if it's important, Jack?" Daniel argued. "And if I continue losing sleep over it..."

"Whatever it is, you'll figure it out." Jack responded firmly. "You always do. I'm just saying not to dwell or you'll drive yourself crazy. Sometimes you just have to let the answers come to you rather than searching for them."

Amazed, Daniel shook his head. "If I didn't know better, I'd be searching for a pod."

"What?" Jack huffed with a glare. "I do know some stuff, Dr. Jackson."

"O'Neill is correct, DanielJackson. I believe the answers to your dreams will soon come to you. Do not...stress out over it." Teal'c put in, ignoring their glaring match.

"I'll try not to." Daniel said, turning away to fill a large mug with coffee.

* * *

For the entirety of the morning, Jack and Daniel both sat in the observation room overlooking Jonas' ISO-room. They ended up sitting side-by-side, laptops in front of themselves, with a pile of paperwork (and in Daniel's case, books by the stack) each. Though Jack grumbled and complained a lot, he couldn't say much about not having the time to do it all, since he was gradually making a significant dent in the accumulated paperwork from their two-week leave. Daniel, on the other hand, decided he would never, ever be caught up.

"What, did _every_ other SG team find artefacts, ruins, _whatever_ and decide I was the _only_ one who could translate all this stuff?" He'd bitched after Nyan had brought him a few of the urgent items from his 'to do' table and box. Daniel hadn't felt much better when Nyan had sympathetically informed him that he – and the others in Daniel's linguistics department – had already done a stack equal to that of Daniel's in the two weeks he'd been away.

Jack was a little amazed at the amount of work, too, though he didn't say so aloud. He didn't think he could remember a time when there'd been such a pile up of stuff for Daniel and his geek squad to play with. Instead of the sarcastic, back-handed comment he'd normally make at Daniel's annoyed complaint, he opted for the nice, complimentary one.

"They only do it because you're the best, Daniel. They all know you can do it more accurately and in half the time it would take anyone else to do it."

It was worth the surprised and self-consciously pleased flush on Daniel's face.

Jack blamed his new, sappy attitude on the fantastic sex.

Sometime around noon, Jack volunteered to hit the commissary and bring back sandwiches and more coffee – what with Daniel's growling stomach that the man himself was either ignoring or truly hadn't noticed.

Whistling a tune as he strode the halls of the SGC, Jack reflected on how at home he felt, how normal and much more _real_ his world seemed now. And when he got into line in the commissary and Colonel Reynolds and SG3 welcomed him back with grins and salutes, it hit Jack that, in his efforts to give Daniel a home, he'd inadvertently found home himself.

Amazed and suddenly emotional, Jack managed to keep from getting all choked up until he got back to the observation room – where he sank back into his seat, put down the tray of their lunches and coffee, and gave Daniel the most fond, happy smile ever while sniffling and looking suspiciously teary-eyed.

Daniel looked up at him and blinked in concerned surprise. "Jack?"

"Danny."

"You okay?" Daniel raised a hand to wipe at the wet tracks that ran down Jack's cheeks. "Hey..."

"I'm good." Jack turned his face into the hand and kissed Daniel's palm. "Epiphany." He added by way of explanation.

Daniel gave him a strange look, puzzling it out, but gripped Jack's hand in his, tangling their fingers together. "Good or bad?"

"Definitely good." Jack sighed happily and reached for a sandwich with his free hand. It was probably a good thing there were no cameras in the observation room, though in his current mood Jack didn't think he could care any less even if there _were_.

Shaking his head, Daniel gave Jack's fingers a tight squeeze then released him, turning to pour them both a fresh mug of coffee from the pot Jack had wrangled from the kitchen staff. "Okay. Going to tell me what it was?"

Jack watched the man he loved take a healthy drink of the steaming liquid, heedless of its temperature, utterly content. "I'm home." He said simply, offering a shrug when Daniel paused mid-sip to stare at him over his mug. Then impossibly blue-eyes went wide momentarily as the linguist finally understood. Jack was treated to the eye-crinkling, truly brilliant smile that was rarest of all from his mate.

"No place like it, O'Neill." Daniel grinned, laughing when Jack rolled his eyes at the cliché.

They ate lunch in companionable silence, fighting over the last of the sandwiches until Jack gave in and let Daniel have it.

Just as they were going back to work, Jack brought up the subject of Steven and Sarah.

"Oh, hey...I think I forgot to ask how the tour and all went with your new recruits."

Daniel made a face. "Oh, it went okay, I suppose...crap!" He exclaimed, smacking his forehead. "I nearly forget about them!" He got up and went to the phone to call Nyan.

"They're fine, Daniel. Not like they can get into much trouble in their quarters or the commissary." Jack pointed out.

"No, but they're probably really bored and wondering if we've all forgotten them in the excitement." Daniel responded, his attention on the phone at his ear. "Nyan, it's me. Do you have some free time? Oh. Um...pass that on to someone else, because I have a new task for you. Yeah. Come up here, and I'll give you the details. Thanks, Nyan."

"What'cha planning?" Jack inquired when Daniel hung up.

"I'm going to ask Nyan to handle the beginner's training courses in history, the Goa'uld, the Asgard, and the Nox. And to get them started on learning Goa'uld."

Jack raised an eyebrow. "What about Ancient?"

"I want to handle that myself." Daniel replied. "But the beginner stuff should keep them busy for a long while until I can get around to it."

"And the Great Galactic tour?"

"Postponed." Daniel glanced down at Jonas. "Besides, I gave them 24 hours to decide if they wanted to do that, and I haven't talked to them about it yet, let alone come up with a list of safe planets to visit."

"Get Vala to do that. I imagine she doesn't have much to do around here when not on missions." Jack suggested.

"Yeah. I feel bad about it. She's much more adaptable than Teal'c was – is – and she's already spent considerable time out in public."

Grabbing another file off the stack, Jack flicked it open and glanced over its contents. "If you think she's not a security risk, Daniel, then talk to Landry and get her permission to leave base on occasion. Or even move off-base."

"Really? Jack?" Daniel's jaw dropped, blue eyes incredulous.

"Yes, really, Danny. Look, we all know why Teal'c didn't last long out there on his own. He's a great guy, honourable, just, and all that, but for all he's learned of us, for all his understanding of 'Tau'ri culture'...he still doesn't _get_ us. And he's still Jaffa. In some ways, it's sad to say, Vala fits right in with us Tau'ri folk better than our good buddy Teal'c ever will." Jack fiddled with a pen as he spoke, foot tapping restlessly.

Daniel frowned, nodding, and sighed. "I'll talk to Vala and Landry, see what they think."

They worked for a bit longer, until Dr. Lam – gloved, gowned, and masked – entered Jonas' room for her next check of his progress. She glanced up and waved at them, reaching to pull back the sheets from Jonas so she could examine him.

"Hey, Doc." Jack nodded, waving back. "How's the kid doing?"

"His last blood work came back clean of the virus, General. He'll be just fine. I'm actually a little shocked at the speed of his recovery." Carolyn replied, continuing the exam while she spoke.

"Janet said his physiology was more efficient than our own. He heals a bit faster, and he also learns vast amounts of information more quickly than our average rate, not to mention retains what he learns better than we do." Daniel said with a slight smile. Janet Fraiser had taken to Jonas much as she had the rest of SG1.

"I know. I saw her notes in his medical files. I just hadn't anticipated the speed myself, despite that." Carolyn replaced her stethoscope around her neck and began checking the various monitors. As she was removing the leads from one that had become unnecessary, she glanced down and saw Jonas stirring into wakefulness.

"General, Daniel...he's coming around." She called up to the observation booth. "Jonas? Can you hear me? I'm Dr. Lam, and you're safe in the SGC..."

"S...G...C..." Jonas croaked, voice hoarse, struggling to open his eyes. "Earth?"

"Yes. You're safe on Earth, Mr. Quinn. You're in one of the ISO rooms at the SGC. You were hurt and ill when you came through the Gate. Do you remember that?" Dr. Lam bustled around for a couple of minutes and began getting rid of the unnecessary equipment Jonas had been monitored by. She also sat the bed up enough that he was able to take a couple of ice-chips to soothe his dry mouth and sore throat. She smiled when he finally pried open his eyes and looked at her directly, focusing easily on her. "There you are!"

"Hello." He rasped, blinking away the heaviness from his eyes as best he could. "Dr. Lam?"

"That's me. I'm CMO, now, around here. You've had a lot of people worried, Mr. Quinn." Carolyn picked up his wrist and began courting the beats of his pulse after pointing up at the observation room. "Your friends have been keeping watch over you all night long."

Jonas squinted owlishly at the glass enclosed room. "No one there now.." he stated dryly. Carolyn glanced over in surprise, then looked to the ISO room door as it slid open.

"Ah. That's because we wanted to get gloved and such so we could come down here, personally." Jack declared, strolling over to the bed with Daniel right behind him. "It's about time you woke up! If you didn't, I was gonna eat all your Jell-o when dinner came around."

Jonas cracked a smile, looking relieved to see their familiar faces. "Daniel! Col. O'Neill! It's really good to see you."

"Ah!" Jack held up a finger and tapped his shoulders, pointing out the stars. "General, here, now."

"Twice over." Daniel agreed with a mock shudder. "I still don't know what they were thinking..."

Jack scowled and glared. "Hey!"

Still smiling slightly, Jonas chuckled. "Congratulations, sir. I'm fairly sure...you've earned them."

"Why _thank_ you, Jonas." Jack said with exaggerated gratitude – and his trademark sarcasm.

"You can stay for fifteen minutes, gentlemen, but that's it. Mr. Quinn needs his rest." Dr. Lam warned, her commanding tone and expression worthy of her predecessor. "I'll let the others know he's awake." She added, patting Jonas on the arm before leaving them.

Jonas looked up at his former team anxiously. "She said she's the CMO. Where's Dr. Fraiser?"

Jack sighed and pulled up a stool, plunking himself down. "She's dead, Jonas. It was a couple of years ago. She died off-world on a rescue mission, saving an Airman's life."

The Kelownan's face became stricken and tears gathered in his eyes. "God, I had no idea. I'm so sorry..."

Daniel turned away, hiding his own sorrow and the memory of Janet's blood on his hands. Jack noticed, but pretended not to.

"It's alright. You couldn't have known." Daniel said, turning back, composed again. "There's been a lot of changes around here since we last had contact with you. But there's a lot of time to catch up."

Jonas nodded slightly, wincing. "Yeah. Thanks for letting me through, by the way. I wasn't sure my IDC wouldn't be locked out or even if...Earth was still here when I dialled the Gate."

"It was locked out." Jack informed him, shrugging apologetically. "If you hadn't made visual and audio contact before you came through, you'd have gone splat." Daniel looked pained at the imagery, but nodded in agreement. "Nothing against you, Kid," Jack explained, "It's just that when we had reports coming in about Ori ships in the vicinity of Langara, it was decided – after we found we couldn't contact you or anyone on your planet – that we would lock out all your codes in case you'd been compromised."

"No, I understand. I figured that would be the case when I came up with my plan." Jonas closed his eyes tiredly, sinking into the pillow behind his head. "But I had to try, and I had nowhere else to go."

Daniel came up next to Jack, dropping a hand on Jonas shoulder. "What happened, Jonas?"

"Before that, is there any immediate threats you need to tell us about?" Jack interrupted. "Anything we need to be prepared for?"

Jonas shook his head, opening his eyes. "No. If my plan went off the way it was supposed to, then no."

"Okay." Jack accepted that easily. Jonas had earned his respect and trusted his word, just as he did any of his kids' word on anything. "Go ahead."

"After that nearly disastrous incident with the Naqahdriah deposits that almost destroyed my planet, peace talks between our three nations fell through for good. It was decided that if no compromise could be reached, then it was either leave or go back to war." Jonas grimaced. "I tried, but it was impossible. Finally the Andari declared they'd had enough and demanded access to the Gate be allowed for them to relocate to an uninhabited planet. It seems their people were willing to leave and start over completely rather than go to war again. The Terranians were thrilled, since they intended to claim whatever the Andari left behind for themselves. As for us, the Kelownans...we were happy enough for the conflict to stop. We didn't care what the others did so long as we could stay out of it."

Jack and Daniel exchanged exasperated, stunned expressions, remembering the troubles they'd always encountered in dealing with Jonas' world.

"I know." Jonas laughed ruefully. "That's better progress than we'd ever had before. My people just wanted peace. Peace to rebuild and raise their families without the constant fear of war. I was happy to help the others to make that happen in any way I could."

"So the Andari left?" Daniel asked, amazed.

"No. They never had the chance." Jonas frowned, remembering. "I provided a list of planets I thought would be suitable. The Andari government sent a group of scouts to inspect each of the planets I suggested for themselves, to see if they really could make a go of it elsewhere. They were on one planet when they came across a very strange man who came through the Gate when they were about to return to Langara."

"Prior." Jack scowled.

"Yes. He introduced himself as such, as a priest of Origin, and the Andari invited him to come back with them since they weren't of that planet." Jonas' hands tightened into fists. "I wasn't happy with them for bringing a stranger back without consulting us first, but there was nothing we could do after the fact, so we treated him as a guest.

"At first, he was very polite, charismatic, even kind. He was also curious, asking a lot of questions about our people, our world, our history...our experience with the Gate. Having learned our lesson with Anubis and Baal, we told him just enough of our history to satisfy his questions, but never spoke of the Naqahdriah, or that we'd had contact with many worlds other than a few primitive ones. We played that we were new to Gate travel."

"So you didn't mention us?" Daniel asked. Jonas made a negative motion with his hand. "That was brave, and very intelligent of you." Daniel ran a hand through his hair, restless. "If you had told him about having contact and dealings with us, he might have just killed you and everyone on your planet immediately."

"We've made a nuisance of ourselves." Jack drawled, baring his teeth in a savage grin. "It's become our goal in life." He looked up at Daniel. "Wouldn't they want to keep all those people alive and worshipping the Ori, though?"

Daniel shrugged and looked thoughtful. "Maybe. Maybe not. If it seemed at all likely that the Langarans could be as...troublesome as we are, then no. They wouldn't need or want them for worshippers. That and I think Adria would obliterate them happily as a message not only to us but to any other planets that stood with us against her."

"Right." Jack frowned. "Makes sense."

"Adria?" Jonas queried.

"Long story. The Priors and their people would refer to her as the Orici." Daniel explained. "I'll tell you all about it, later, Jonas."

The young man nodded a little, and Daniel fed him a few ice chips before Jonas continued to relate his version of events.

"He gave us that book...the Book of Origin, I guess. He asked that our leaders and anyone literate read the book and when he returned, he expected to be given our decision to follow his religion. Some tried to refuse flat out – none of the people of Langara are particularly religious – and others were willing to read it for curiosity's sake, but I don't think very many people took it seriously. The Prior gave us a month or so to read and decide, anyway, and then he left.

"The Andari became quite enamoured of the stories in the book. They eventually held a referendum to decide if they would adopt Origin as their national system of belief – seeing as they were starting over on a new planet. They thought if these Ori were truly so powerful and benevolent that perhaps they'd be willing to help them rebuild and get established. The Terranians were less enthusiastic but left the decision up to whomever of their people wanted to adopt Origin. As long as it didn't interfere with anyone else, they didn't much care.

"My people...flat out dismissed it. I think we're far to cerebral to blindly accept mystical beings with god-like powers." Jonas looked a little sheepish. "Though it probably had just as much to do with me pointing out our experiences with _other_ supposed gods and adding what I knew of the Ancients – because these Ori sounded a lot like Ascended beings to me – more than simple disbelief."

Daniel nodded grimly, and Jack made a face.

"They are." Jack affirmed.

"Long story." Daniel reiterated.

"Uh...okay. Wow." Jonas looked stunned and confused, but put it aside for the moment. "Anyway, the Prior that came back was a different one. This guy wasn't so nice about things. He gave us an ultimatum..."

"Convert or suffer the consequences. All or nothing." Daniel's hands tightened into fists.

"Yeah. He gave us one last week to make up our collective minds. When _he_ returned, we said thanks but no thanks." Jonas shuddered, face haunted. "He had the most..._dark_ look in his eyes – and he was creepy enough! He got very angry, as if we'd insulted him on the most personal level, and declared that we'd fallen to evil, and the Ori would cleanse us of it. Then he struck is staff into the ground and there was this incandescent flash of light. When it was over, we were a little blind for a moment, then all was fine again. We were confused and asked what he'd done, but all he would say was that punishment would befall us as was the will of the Ori." Jonas paused, looking like he really didn't want to relive the next parts. "He just...left. We didn't know what to think.

"Until a few days later, when we received reports from the Andari and the Terranians that many people were falling ill, and no one could determine a cause – nor a treatment. Kelowna sent aid – medicines and doctors – but not long after _we_ started falling sick."

Jack couldn't sit still for this, so he got up and began to pace at the foot of Jonas' bed. Daniel, having seen the Prior Plague too many times up close and personal, paled considerably and sank into Jack's abandoned seat. "Say no more, Jonas. We know the plague you're talking about."

Jonas swallowed back the painful memories with difficulty. "It was pandemic, and it was horrible. I'd never seen anything like it. The scary part was that there was nothing we could do to help the infected. Hundreds of thousands died."

"But not all?" Daniel looked up in surprise, catching the part Jonas hadn't said directly. Jack stopped pacing, too, staring with surprised interest.

"No. I'd say in all, a few thousand in each country managed to survive somehow." Jonas gave them puzzled expressions. "Why?"

"Yours is the only planet to have that happen that we know of." Daniel said softly. "Every other one we've encountered suffering the Plague has been wiped out completely – at least until we developed an antivirus after it spread here, to Earth."

Jonas' eyes widened. "It spread? How? And you have an antivirus?"

Jack crossed his arms over his chest. "An SG team undercover on one of the more primitive planets unknowingly brought it back with them. Earth had a bit of a pandemic situation, too, only we managed to develop an antivirus in time. We lost several thousand of our own people around the planet, but it could have been much, much worse."

"We...had some help. If we hadn't, we'd all be dead by now." Daniel glanced at Jack, blue eyes full of infinite sadness over the mask covering his nose and mouth. "It wasn't without its cost, though."

Jack nodded grimly in agreement and looked to the injured man for continuation of the story. "You're obviously a survivor."

"Yes. I never even got so much as a sniffle." Jonas didn't look very happy about it. "As far as I know...I'm the _only_ one who didn't get even a little sick."

"So what happened? Why didn't you try to contact us?" Daniel asked.

"I didn't want to risk passing it to Earth. And more...when the plague was at its worse, as the only remaining Council member left who wasn't dead or dying, and the only one still capable of being concerned about our Gate...I had it covered with a cover stone and sealed up in that underground bunker we were using that time Anubis dropped by to visit. I made sure no one but myself could unseal it, as an added precaution.

"The only bright side was that our three nations finally found peace. We began working together to attempt to rebuild and basically do as the Andari were going to – start over. We set up a provisional government with members from all three countries, pooled what resources we had, and we hammered out a peace agreement." Jonas smiled a little. "I never thought I'd see it happen in my lifetime."

"That's really good." Daniel reached out to pat the man on the arm. "Fantastic, even."

"Yeah, but obviously something went wrong." Jack pointed out, moving to stand next to Daniel.

"A ship came. I'd never seen anything like it, though it gave me the impression of being Ancient in design or something similar." Jonas clenched his fists and closed his eyes. "The soldiers that spilled out of that ship were brutal, cruel, and unforgiving – when we again told them there was no chance of accepting Origin. On that note, finally, Langara was of one mind.

"We fought them off as best we could, but it never seemed to be enough. We even tried to use our last Naqahdriah bomb to blow the ship up. I don't know how or why, but it failed. We failed.

"Food and clean water were in short supply. Every day there were more casualties than survivors. By the time we'd retreated back to what had been the Kelownan capital, there were only a couple hundred of us left. I thought our only chance was to uncover the Gate and escape off-world – plague or not."

Jonas stopped speaking, voice raw and full of pain as he was overcome with emotion.

"It's alright, Jonas. We should let you rest now." Daniel shot Jack a worried look and shook his head to quell the frustrated scowl on the General's face.

"No..." Jonas shook his head fitfully, ignoring the silent tears slipping down his cheeks and grabbing for Daniel's wrist. "I just want to get it out. Please..."

"There's lots of time..." Daniel tried, but gave up at the stubborn plea on Jonas' face. "Okay. Okay, keep going."

"We had to do it over several weeks, undercover and at night, sneaking back and forth from our hide-away to the bunker. By the time we got everything back up and running it was almost too late. The Commander of the soldiers put out the word that if we didn't surrender, then they would simply destroy the planet from orbit. I never did figure out why they didn't do that to begin with, but when I found out about that new threat, I hatched a plan.

"I had everything in place. There was only one last thing I needed to do – replace the dialling crystal in the DHD. I left the shelter, alone, and made my way to the bunker, avoiding soldiers patrolling everywhere. Just when I got there, about to go downstairs, I heard a massive explosion from the direction I'd just come." Jonas shook visibly, the monitors keeping track of his vitals responding to his distress. "There was fire, and I could hear screaming." He looked away for a moment, eyes squeezed closed tightly. "I...I didn't go back to look. I just...went into the bunker and sealed myself in."

"Hey." Jack dropped a hand on Daniel's shoulder and grimly waited until Jonas looked at him. "Don't beat yourself up. There's nothing you could have done, not for them, against those soldiers, Jonas."

"Maybe not." Jonas was sure he'd never forgive himself, despite knowing that. "I did the only thing I could do. I replaced the crystal and dialled Earth after setting the self-destruct for the bunker. I thought, at least, I could deny Gate travel to my world from then on. Langara could remain empty and peaceful if I destroyed – or at least buried – the Stargate."

Daniel nodded. He got the idea, and understood the sentiment. If there had been an Abydos left, he would have done the same for his second home world.

"And the rest of your injuries?" Jack asked quietly.

"I did have a minor run-in with a couple of soldiers. And then I fell partway down the last set of stairs leading down into our Gate room. I hit my head pretty badly." Jonas rolled his head to the side, seeming to lose any energy he may have had left abruptly and all at once. "General...I hope you'll allow...me to stay..."

Jack blinked, and reached out to awkwardly pat Jonas reassuringly. "Don't worry about that, now." He said gruffly. "You're always welcome here, Jonas Quinn, and all you need to do now is rest and get better. Ya hear?"

"We'll take care of it." Daniel agreed firmly, squeezing Jonas' hand before getting up. "Go to sleep, and we'll be back to check in on you."

"...Thank you..." Jonas managed to get out before he succumbed to his exhaustion and was out cold once more.

Daniel led the way out, and once they'd shed their medical gear, they went back up to the observation room to pack up their work.

"You okay?" Jack asked, eyes flicking up to Daniel's as he watched the linguist finish tidying his area.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Daniel closed up the laptop bag and hefted it up to hang off one shoulder. "Sad. Angry. Relieved, in a strange way." He straightened and nodded, indicating that he had everything and was ready to go.

Jack led the way out and through the halls to the elevator. "I know. Not your fault. No one but the Ori can be blamed, Daniel."

Daniel punched the button for the Level of his lab. "If I hadn't..."

"No." Jack said firmly. "Not your fault. If the Ancients never wanted us – or anyone – to run into their evil twins someday then they shouldn't have left their toys lying around where curious folk like us would find them. Besides, do you really think the Ori truly didn't know about our galaxy? Or that we were here? Please."

Daniel hung his head, trying not to smile at Jack's obvious disdain for the beings of that higher plain – both sides. "Jack...I know they haven't been particularly helpful, but..."

"No! Daniel!" Jack gave him his stubborn face. "I'm telling you, I'm honestly beginning to understand that the Ancients left their toys lying around _on __**purpose**_, in the hopes that eventually us lowly humans would evolve enough, be curious and gullible enough to go out and explore, find their stuff, and thus come along behind them and clean up all their unfinished messes that they left behind as a legacy. Think about it; they didn't get rid of the Goa'uld, though they clearly had the tech to do it. They couldn't defeat the Wraith over in Pegasus – which may have been another of their failed experiments come back to haunt them. They're responsible for the Replicators. They didn't do anything about the Ori, either. And where are they now? Floating on a cloud contemplating their own asses at the expense of all other life.

"And," Jack continued when the elevator opened on Daniel's Level, following him out and to his lab, "if that's not enough for you, then think on this: whether or not everything that's happened was due to them or not in some way, _we_ are only doing the best we can with what we have. We're going to make mistakes, sure, but unlike those high-and-mighty glowy octopi, we clean up our messes."

Daniel sighed and set his stuff down on his worktable. "I know, Jack. I do. I can't help feeling badly for Jonas, though, or for being a bit guilty. I can't even begin to imagine what he must feel right now, as the last of his people."

Jack stepped up to him and dropped his hands on Daniel's shoulders, forcing the younger man to meet his gaze. "Not. Your. Fault. I'll keep saying it until you believe it – or at least let it go."

"I'm trying."

* * *

Every other night for a week, Daniel continued to have strange dreams. He didn't understand all that was happening in them, but he recognized the people he saw in them as Ancients, that the others they often spoke of were Ori, and that where they left to go was his galaxy. He didn't know what the strange device that looked like a simple chest of some sort actually was or what it did, but he understood from what the Ancients of his dream said that it somehow could be the very key to defeating the Ori.

At first it had all been very vague but every time he dreamt of the chest, more clear details became apparent, until he began to wonder if maybe this was another of his Ascended memories trying to surface. Whatever it was, wherever the source, he made a point of paying closer attention, and when he woke up, he quickly wrote all he'd seen down in a journal he started keeping by the bed.

Jack noticed his restless slumber, knew about the journal and the dreams (because he'd read the thing out of concern for Daniel), but there was nothing he could do to help – which of course frustrated the hell out of him. Inaction was not Jack's strong suit, especially when it came to Daniel.

And then one night Jack was yanked out of his deep, happily satiated sleep when Daniel began muttering, tossing and turning, and finally snapping bolt-upright with a gasp of "Dakara!"

"For cryin' out..." Jack roused himself enough to sit up, too, and stared hard at his lover, eyeing him with considerable ire. "Daniel, this has got to stop." He grumbled, then frowned when Daniel ignored him in favour of the journal, which he fumbled for in the dark and flipped open even as he turned the lamp on so he could see what he wrote before. "Daniel..."

"It can't be...but it makes sense...oh my god! How could I be so stupid?" Daniel exclaimed, slapping the book closed with one hand and his forehead with the other. "Of course it would be there..."

"Earth to Dr. Jackson!" Jack growled, grabbing the journal and throwing it over his shoulder, not caring where it went. Daniel squawked out a "HEY!" of protest but suddenly found himself wrestled down to the bed on his back, a very put out, naked General poised above him and glowering.

"Jack!"

"Daniel!"

"What's gotten into you?"

"This has to stop. You're not sleeping, and you're obsessing over a dream. A _dream_, Danny." Jack gave him a shake to emphasize his point. "_I'm_ losing sleep and I'm not the one dreaming."

"I'm sorry! I can't control my dreams, Jack." Daniel scowled back. He'd have crossed his arms indignantly if Jack didn't have them pinned to the bed on either side of Daniel's head. "And it's not 'just a dream', nor am I 'obsessing' about it."

Jack sighed. "Daniel...it is and you are. It's your mind trying to deal with the whole situation, making things up to keep you...I don't know...in some sort of hope that there's really a solution to be found out there."

"Exactly!" Daniel snapped, then pulled a quick manoeuvre of his own that had their positions reversed. Blue eyes glittered down at Jack fiercely. "It looks like an ark or a chest. It's some kind of device that may be capable of stopping the Priors and the Ori – if they're still around – and Adria. And now I think I know where to start looking!"

Jack blinked a few times, his sleepy mind muddling through that slowly.

"Really?"

"Yes!"

"Where?"

"Dakara!"

"Seriously?"

"_Yes!_"

"But...that place is toast. Adria blew it to hell."

"Yeah but it's possible that something survived and was just buried under the rubble."

"So, what? You want to excavate the entire planet? Danny..."

"No, no..." Daniel shook his head emphatically and rolled off his partner, right off their bed to his feet, and looked around for a pair of boxer shorts. "I think I have an idea where it could be. I have to talk to Teal'c...see if the Jaffa found any artefacts when they were rebuilding..." he began stuffing his legs into his jeans, off-balance.

Jack sighed to himself, realizing his archaeologist wasn't even speaking to _him_ – just aloud to himself while his all-too-busy brain whirled like crazy. "Daniel."

Glancing at him, Daniel paused in rooting out a pair of socks from his drawer. "What?"

"It's 0240. You're not going anywhere. Come back to bed."

Daniel stared at him, squinting, as he wasn't wearing his glasses. "What?"

"It's the middle of the night, Danny." Jack repeated slowly, giving him a lop-sided smile – ruined by the huge yawn. "Teal'c will still be there in the morning. Much later in the morning." He couldn't help grinning at how utterly adorable Daniel looked, all confused, as he looked from Jack to the curtained window to the alarm clock on Jack's side of the bed, then finally down at himself.

"Oh."

Stripping down again, Daniel crawled back into bed, turned off the lamp, and snuggled up to Jack – who wisely refrained from commenting on his partner's flakiness.


End file.
